Bolting to LA: 2,000-Mile 2017 Bolt EV Road Trip to See the New 2027 Model — Part 1

* Mandatory Disclaimer:* Transport Evolved was invited by General Motors (Chevrolet) to attend the reveal of the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV at NBC Universal’s Back Lot in Los Angeles. General Motors covered our accommodation and meal costs in Los Angeles, as well as hotel stopover costs in Sacramento during our trips to and from Portland, Oregon in order to facilitate us bringing you this first-person report. YouTube requires this video to be marked as “sponsored” due to this arrangement However, while GM assisted with accommodation and meals, Transport Evolved retained full editorial and production control, and GM did not review the video prior to its official release. At Transport Evolved, we don't just drive and review the newest, hottest EVs on the market—we live with and drive EVs on a daily basis. Unlike many channels, we keep and use our daily drivers for an extended period of time, which means our fleet includes models from 2006 all the way through to 2023. So when GM invited us to Los Angeles in October to see the all-new 2027 Bolt EV up close and personal, we knew there was only one way to go: take the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premiere that Nikki and her wife purchased used in 2019—and which now has more than 135,000 miles on the odometer. While the original Bolt EV has far slower DC fast charging than most EVs on the market today, the addition of Tesla Supercharger access for GM EVs—and far more reliable CCS charging networks—means there are now many more places to charge. By carefully planning our stops and only charging while the Bolt’s charge rate is close to its 55 kW max, we were able to avoid the pain of super-slow charging. Sure, it meant more stops en route, but it was far quicker than waiting to charge to 90 percent full. Here's part one of our epic 2,000-mile trip—traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Los Angeles in two days on I-5, complete with the latest iteration of FrogPilot semi-autonomous driver-assistance software running on our Comma 3 unit. Here's what happened, what we learned, and what past us wanted to see in the new Bolt. And if you've missed our video covering the reveal event? Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJVfHuwoVjw ----- *⏱️ Episode Timeline* 00:00 - Introduction (Music: Danny Shields – Late Brew) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/album/late-brew/12850 03:05 - Leg 1 – 10:30 am (2 hours of driving) 05:13 - Charging Stop 1 – Sutherlin, Oregon 09:15 - Montage (Music: Danny Shields – Late Brew) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/album/late-brew/12850 09:42 - Leg 3 – 2:37 pm, just left our second stop 14:51 - Montage (Music: Ottom – Shinrin-Yoku) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/shinrin-yoku/12496 15:09 - Stop 3 – Yreka, 76 Gas Station, California 18:25 - Montage (Music: Ottom – Shinrin-Yoku) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/shinrin-yoku/12496 18:48 - Charging Stop 4 – Red Bluff, California 22:14 - Montage (Music: March of the Machine – Eyes) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/eyes/136342 23:47 - Day 2 – 25 minutes in, much further to go 30:05 - Montage (Music: Jimit – Home Cooking) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/album/home-cookin/12637 30:23 - Our first stop of the day - Rivian Adventure Network, Firebaugh 34:31 - Montage (Music: Jimit – Nobody Got Time For Love) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/nobody-got-time-for-love/129020 35:28 - Hitting The Grapevine outside of LA. 42:15 - Closing Montage (Music: Janes Party – The Only One) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/album/the-only-one/13030 43:27 - Coming Next Time (Music: Jimit – Juno) - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/juno/135412 44:29 - Thanks and Goodbye! ---- *👥 Today’s Sponsors* 🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - https://www.myeva.org ⚡ EnergySage - https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262 — ✊ Get Involved 🗳️ https://indivisible.org/town-hall-resources ❤️ Support the Show 📰 https://www.transportevolved.com 🔥 https://www.patreon.com/transportevolved ☕ https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved 📺 https://www.youtube.com/transportevolved 👕 https://www.redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd/ 🛍️ https://amzn.to/40xOyjm ₿ 1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH *💬 Join the Conversation* 🐘 https://mastodon.transportevolved.com/@show 💬 https://discord.gg/9WAjfQn 🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevolved.bsky.social 🔁 Subscribe to our 2nd channel - https://www.youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2 --- *🎙️ Credits:* Host: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Camera, Edit, Color: Vi Horton Art & Animation: Erin Carlie Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Music: via Artlist.io © Transport Evolved LLC, 2025 💬 Would You have taken a long-distance trip in a Bolt EV? Have you done so in the past? Or do you just not want to spend time charging at 55 kW? Start the conversation in the down below, or come on over to our Discord (it's free!).