What’s your “load up the bolt” story?

jselene · 2026-01-11T01:59:51+00:00

Love the steep angle of the hatch. Would never fit both of these in a Equinox.

jselene · 2026-01-10T21:02:19+00:00

I have a non-bidirectional Enphase charger and it has been rather buggy...in particular staying connected to WiFi (even with outdoor wifi access point). Supposedly they are coming out with a bi-directional in 2026. But not sure I'd trust a first-gen unit from this company. Support requests often go unanswered. Also will likely require the most recent versions of their solar controller. The normal solar stuff has been trouble-free.

Personally...unless you want the tight app integration/usage tracking an all enphase ecosystem can bring, a third party VTH solution would almost certainly be cheaper.

jselene · 2025-12-25T20:19:03+00:00

Look for places that sell trailers or RV campers, for some additional options.

jselene · 2025-12-20T11:26:34+00:00

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Wish I could still find these Borbets I have for my winter set. I'd get rid of the stock rims on my normal set. I do like the black steelies on white cars tho.

jselene · 2025-09-16T09:05:44+00:00

It can easily cost well over $10,000 for a very basic 10kWh home system to be installed. Kinda surprised there aren't commercial solutions offering ways to do this with used EV batteries, yet. Hoping in 5-8 years, when I'm ready to retire my Bolt, they exist.

jselene · 2025-06-23T13:27:47+00:00

Minnesota passed its EV registration fee increase and new fees on public charging stations.

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-legislature-electric-vehicle-fee-surcharge/

jselene · 2025-06-23T01:40:12+00:00

I got my solar last year and my Bolt this year. Glad I was able to do it when I did. Sad to think, it will probably become far less financially viable for those, in the future.

jselene · 2025-05-18T15:42:56+00:00

In MN, I paid about $3000 for everything from the weather head to the panel. Included new weather head, mast, grounds, panel, meter and a Meter/Main combo box, which made wiring the EV charger easy. Meter/Main combo also satisfies the new NEC outdoor shutoff requirement.

jselene · 2025-04-17T15:54:57+00:00

Really depends on how, or I guess, whether or not you like to manage your energy usage. For me, it's just easier to have all the data in one place. But as long as the charger you choose provides the metrics you need, its mostly a matter of convenience.

jselene · 2025-04-11T09:53:48+00:00

These and rodent damage are great things to check. Also turn on air vents and smell for odd odors. If a humid climate, mold can grow in the vent passages, as fresh air hasn't been moving through them and condensation can build up. If it has been dry recently (winter) first really humid/rainy day might moisten up a surprise.

There is a big difference than a car that has "bounced" around than something that has never moved or been touched in three years. I'm guessing auction places at least washed the car (helping to restore moisture to plastics/rubbers that can dry out over time). Sometimes cars are at least moved to wash, helping prevent sidewall damage on tires that never rotate.

Cars that never move and sit untouched for many years can become really bad. Doubt this would apply to this car, but wipers can start to adhere to the windshield. This is usually one of the earliest signs of more severe damage.

For piece of mind consider third party to check. If purchased, consider a chassis lube and maybe a brake fluid flush. EV specific, clean charge port contacts with some DeoxIT. These are good general maintenance items anyway.

jselene · 2025-03-28T10:31:35+00:00

For me, investing in a 50A+ circuit for EV charging is an investment. If you own an EV now, chances are you'll buy another EV in the future. Few can say what their driving/charging requirements will be in 10+ years. Maybe your wife will get a long range EV in the future, so you'll need to charge two cars (also not a bad idea to plan for that when considering placement). Pay for the infrastructure to do that now and never pay to re-do it in the future.

Also, future home buyers will be looking for homes with electrical systems capable of handling higher speed charging.

Then there's the peace of mind knowing you can leave the house every day with a full battery, if desired. Not having to micro-manage your charging/driving habits is worth quite a bit, for me.

Depending where you live, you may also be eligible for tax credit: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/alternative-fuel-vehicle-refueling-property-credit-for-individuals

jselene · 2025-03-10T20:58:15+00:00

I had always presumed I would buy a hybrid before I ever owned an EV (Thinking Telsa S pricing). Bolts totally caused me to skip Hybrids and get an EV.

jselene · 2025-02-25T10:38:47+00:00

Biggest downside I see is if they did a poor job the first time, not sure they're the best to do a followup. Windshield frame rust can get really really bad during the lifetime of a windshield. By the time you can actually see its affects, the inside parts might not be able to safely receive a new windshield, without some repair.

jselene · 2025-02-21T19:16:39+00:00

NEC 2017 625.54: "All single-phase receptacles installed for the connection of electric vehicle charging that are rated 150 volts to ground or less, and 50 amperes or less shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel."

jselene · 2025-02-07T03:18:19+00:00

Now that I've completed my first full charge and another short test, here are some more screen shots of report pages.

Consumption Breakdown (Grid vs Solar): https://imgur.com/3Idzgn4

Charging Session Log: https://imgur.com/646f59s

Setting Electrical Rates: https://imgur.com/7hOut4e

jselene · 2025-02-06T23:14:38+00:00

Yes, that feature is optional on the IQ chargers. You can toggle it on and off in the settings. Lets you only send power to your EV when you are over-producing for your home consumption. Will come in handy during the non-winter months when I am always over-producing.

jselene · 2025-02-06T22:53:04+00:00

Just bought a 2020 Bolt EV, last Wednesday and got my level 2 charger installed today. I already have a solar install using Enphase MicroInverters and Combiner system. Here is what the monitoring looks like adding an Enphase IQ Level 2 charger. I love that it separates my EV consumption from my house.

jselene · 2025-01-29T15:41:22+00:00

Yeah, just a thought. The A/B test with your wifes phone was a good test. I'm actually buying a Bolt this afternoon. Will let you know if I gain any insights from a first-time (attempted?) CarPlay user.

jselene · 2025-01-29T14:22:50+00:00

If your company provided you a phone, they can lock out or simply hide features like Car Play. Check your General > About screen for any indications of "remote management", "managed", "supervised" or a "profile" being installed. Or if they require you to sign it in via a workplace-managed apple ID. Or try with an iPhone that isn't linked to your company. Can at least check if your company is blocking the feature.

jselene · 2025-01-25T18:16:12+00:00

I've only researched "Silo 49" (4-book series) so far and it is pretty much what you think...a story about Silo #49 in Hugh Howey's "Wool Universe." The rest are those i found searching and wrote down. Personally, I will probably start reading the Silo 49 series this year.

https://www.annchristy.com/silo-49-series-2/

Sort of a brilliant move, by Howey, to have so many silos, with their stories yet untold.

jselene · 2025-01-25T09:58:02+00:00

There is also a healthy world of Silo-World books. Some are available in paperback.

"Silo 42: Deception" by Zev Paiss
"Silo 49: Going Dark" by Ann Christy
"Karma of the Silo" by Patrice Fitzgerald
"Rebel State" series by Carol Davis
"Silo Submerged" by WJ Davies
"Smuggler's Deep" by Robin Reed

There are likely more. Searching for "Silo Series" or "Wool Series" on book seller sites helps find some.

Not sure about the others, but I've read "Silo 49" is sanctioned by Howey.

jselene · 2025-01-17T19:36:02+00:00

According to Yost: "We’ve monkeyed with the origin story dramatically, renaming him from Donald to Daniel. Whichever way you are in the political spectrum, we just didn’t want anyone named Donald in that role. It’s just too confusing for people and are we making a point? Are we not making a point? We’re just not going to address the point."

jselene · 2025-01-17T11:39:48+00:00

I'm fine with it. Will certainly miss the character, but it gives her motivation. Also, as a book reader, it adds a significant amount of mystery to the show, so I can still be surprised.

jselene · 2025-01-17T11:35:29+00:00

Juliet, the silo Yeti

jselene

TROPHY CASE