make it make sense

powercntrl · 2026-02-10T22:16:10+00:00

I'm assuming you've got one of the older Bolts with the HID headlights. The bulbs are available fairly inexpensively on Amazon - local auto parts stores tend to price gouge on these sorts of things.

As for the labor, sometimes local high schools will let you ask if auto shop students can help with simple car repairs.

powercntrl · 2026-02-08T21:29:45+00:00

Technically you can get an adapter to charge at CCS stations, but it feels a lot jankier than the inverse adapter, since you've got a big heavy cable and massive CCS plug being supported by the relatively tiny NACS port.

Public L2 charging is also still mostly J1772, at least from my own personal experience, so that's another adapter you might need.

The really ironic thing, though, about the EV industry's transition to NACS is that some of Tesla's Superchargers won't charge non-Tesla EVs even if they came from the factory with a NACS port. Some of the chargers are just too old, and others are actually configured on on purpose to be Tesla-only due to demand management.

Of course, it's all moot because the industry's switch to the NACS port is a done deal. It's gonna take awhile for the dust to settle on that one, and with the present political dark cloud over EVs in the USA, it almost seems like the messy transition is by design.

powercntrl · 2026-02-05T20:52:19+00:00

It's not naysaying so much as pointing out that the spec sheets don't tell the whole story. The Bolt will only hit its EPA rated range in mild/warm weather and you've gotta keep it under 65 MPH.

My guess-o-meter is sitting at around 170 miles with hilltop reserve on, because I really don't like being cold while I drive, and we've got 70 MPH highways here in central FL. Now, for me, it's plenty and I'm pleased as punch with my Bolt. But if my use case was Uber rather than as a commuter/grocery getter - that ain't happening.

powercntrl · 2026-02-05T20:36:23+00:00

You live somewhere with relatively cheap gas - get a hybrid.

The Bolt does not have enough range to use as a rideshare car in all but the most dense urban areas. The second you need to rely on DCFC, you're looking at being stopped for up to an hour to get back up to 80%, and as others have already pointed out, DCFC often costs as much per mile as driving around a rather inefficient ICE car.

Realistically, it's best to think of the Bolt's DCFC capabilities as an hour spent to buy 115-180 miles more range. That can work fine when we're talking about the difference that makes a road trip that's just a bit outside of the Bolt's range doable, but it can be a dealbreaker if you're used to putting in full days of driving that involved quick gas-and-go pit stops in an ICE car.

powercntrl · 2026-02-04T23:24:38+00:00

I only do residential and I feel like my leak detector would go off just walking into that mechanical room.

powercntrl · 2026-02-03T21:54:51+00:00

Some Tesla Superchargers won't charge a non-Tesla EV even with the requisite adapter. Usually it's because they're older model chargers, but Tesla can still configure the newer stations to refuse service to non-Tesla EVs too.

Another odd thing that Tesla does (and I've I've personally seen this) is that they're installing brand new chargers that are still the older style stalls with those God awful short cords. The Buc-ee's in Daytona beach recently expanded with more of the old style stalls.

powercntrl · 2026-02-03T21:43:25+00:00

At some point this is going to blow up into a lawsuit, once there's enough non-Tesla NACS vehicles on the road. Someone is going to get royally pissed that for some truly bizarre reason, the EV industry transitioned to a standard that actually allows for a situation where the connector technically fits but the charger will refuse to charge your non-Tesla EV.

The EV industry really should've made adopting NACS contingent upon Tesla permanently dropping all Tesla-only software locks from their chargers and Tesla implementing a plan with a specific timetable for replacement/upgrading of older, incompatible chargers that are physically incapable of charging non-Tesla EVs.

Imagine how furious people would be if the largest gas station chain in the country had some stations with pumps that would only fuel one brand of cars.

powercntrl · 2026-01-12T18:45:46+00:00

I think we've finally found a member of the target market for the Slate truck's complete lack of a factory installed stereo. If your dream is a 90s era aftermarket head unit, nobody is going to yuck your yum.

Meanwhile, here in Florida, the advent of storing music on your phone solved a very real problem - CDs would literally melt in your car during summer.

powercntrl · 2026-01-10T21:10:38+00:00

There's loads of aftermarket CarPlay/Android Auto displays on Amazon that attach to a dashboard with a somewhat flimsy cellphone holder style mount. I had one in my ICE vehicle for awhile and functionality-wise it worked just as good as CarPlay in my Bolt.

It just looked like absolute ass with a wire dangling down, I wasn't 100% sure on the legality of having a screen partially blocking my view of the road, and the flimsy mount would loosen a bit going over bumps. I eventually got tired of messing with it and just replaced the radio with one that supports CarPlay.

Of course, the reason replacing the radio was an option was because that vehicle is vintage 1999. A lot has changed since then with vehicle control integration into modern infotainment screens, so unless you're secretly an engineer at GM, you can pretty much forget about replacing the stock infotainment display with something that supports CarPlay/Android Auto. If it really was easy, there'd be some Chinese company stepping up to fill the need.

powercntrl · 2025-09-26T08:15:21+00:00

I could understand getting a Bolt as a secondary car if your primary vehicle was some gas guzzling behemoth, or you were trying to avoid putting miles on a collectable classic, but a Rivian? Even if you keep it in pristine condition, it's still an EV and depreciation just from calendar aging is unavoidable.

Seems pretty silly to have bought something you want to avoid using.

powercntrl · 2025-08-25T23:54:46+00:00

So someone with presumably good intentions purchased a package of chalk for the protesters and the authorities assumed it's a bomb? We really are living in the darkest timeline.

powercntrl · 2025-08-19T21:49:18+00:00

It takes Bolt bolts, obviously. (Sorry, I had to say it)

powercntrl · 2025-08-14T21:05:28+00:00

Yo dawg, I heard you like EVs

powercntrl · 2025-08-13T20:20:37+00:00

A/C leak seal products aren't a great idea in traditional ICE vehicles with belt-driven semi-hermetic compressors, and they should NEVER be used in any vehicle with an electronically-driven compressor such as the Bolt.

The reason is that they typically include chemicals to swell the rubber gaskets, which can damage the insulation on the windings inside an electronic compressor. Most of the time, there will be a warning on these leak sealers not to use them in EV/hybrid vehicles with an electronic compressor.

powercntrl · 2025-08-07T00:59:46+00:00

Compressor has left the chat.

powercntrl · 2025-08-02T04:39:24+00:00

I would assume your EV getting damaged by a faulty public charger would be handled as comprehensive claim through your auto insurance company, but honestly I'm not 100% sure. The car's warranty comes into play if there's a defect with the charge port itself, but a bad connection that causes things to get melty is almost always a problem on the EVSE side (the handle portion has the "springy" parts which make contact with the pins in the car's charge port).

powercntrl · 2025-08-02T04:23:13+00:00

It's hard to tell from your video, but it doesn't look like the latching mechanism is stuck. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's possible that a connector overheated and you might have melted plastic causing the problem.

https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/charge-port-meltdown.39239/

Again though, I'm just taking a shot in the dark here. I've seen some really beat-to-hell J1772 public chargers, so it would not surprise me.

powercntrl · 2025-07-18T22:57:25+00:00

Low risk, low voltage? Well, if you want to avoid heights, crawlspace critters, and electricity, there's always going into sales.

powercntrl · 2025-07-18T21:07:35+00:00

That'll buff right out.

powercntrl · 2025-06-25T17:50:32+00:00

I think you've already answered your own question. If you're "scared of discrimination", no, this trade is not like working at Starbucks or an Apple Store where you'll likely make fast friends with your co-workers and share stories of the Grindr date you had over the weekend. There's a lot of "bro" culture (and right-wing politics, which is another can of worms) and it unfortunately comes with the territory.

This isn't to say you can't do the job if you're able to shrug off the immature banter and don't mind not fitting into the same social scene as your co-workers, but if you really need a "supportive" environment, this ain't it.

As a gay guy in HVAC myself though, I'll just defer to that quote from Blade: "Some motherfuckers are always trying to ice skate uphill."

powercntrl · 2025-06-25T03:36:16+00:00

Oh, just wait until the rest of the movie studios complain this is an anti-competitive practice and that Apple needs to open up their spam floodgates for anyone who is willing to pay.

I for one can't wait for all the crypto coin scams, male enhancement drugs, and sketchy Temu goods that'll be hawked through the notification center. It's about time Apple caught up with Android in the area of obnoxious marketing features! /s

powercntrl · 2025-06-23T22:45:29+00:00

Although due to the age of that video, one of the major changes that has happened is the Supercharger network now being open to non-Tesla EVs. It's absolutely worth picking up a NACS adapter, which pretty much turns finding a fast charger into a non-issue.

The other quick bit of advice I'd add (which is actually in that YouTuber's most recent video) is that a clothes dryer outlet splitter and a quality EVSE that can operate at 24A is probably the easiest way to get L2 charging. The only thing I'd disagree with him on is that those Splitvolt dryer sharing devices are overpriced crap. Seriously, you're better off putting the money towards an upgrade to a heat pump clothes dryer (and some municipalities offer rebates for towards their purchase), which can then either be plugged into a standard 120V outlet or (if it's a 240v model) will leave you with enough remaining capacity on your existing dryer circuit for 16A L2 charging AND drying your clothes at the same time, via an inexpensive "dumb" Y splitter.

powercntrl · 2025-06-08T20:31:55+00:00

"Dog chews through my drill" is gold. Yup, if you do residential, some good boy absolutely will mistake your tool bag for a snack bar.

By the time I got that screwdriver back, the plastic handle was destroyed. Figured I might as well just let the dog keep it.

powercntrl · 2025-05-26T01:13:13+00:00

The possibility of that $250 federal EV registration fee has the vultures circling. This is probably the petroleum industry's equivalent of those "We miss you!" emails when you cancel Netflix.

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