Daily Drives and Long Hauls: My Real-World Experience with the Blazer EV

Daily Drives and Long Hauls: My Real-World Experience with the Blazer EV

My name is Bob Stanbrough. My EV Journey is a little different than that of my co-workers. It started almost 2 years ago when my wife and I decided we wanted to reserve a Blazer EV, at the time the only thing I knew about the Blazer EV was the model’s name. So, my wife and I joined the reservation list and waited.

Let’s fast forward about 2 Years. Finally, the day we were waiting for is here. It’s been a long wait which gave me plenty of time to read, study and watch as much information as I could find. But that would be no substitution for what driving an EV in the real world would be like.

The goal of the blog is to share my real-world experience.

Prepping the house

Owning an EV does come with some planning and prepping. How are we going to charge it? What type of charger do we get? Where do we have the charger installed?

While we were waiting for our new Blazer EV to arrive, we decided to do a little upgrading to our home electrical system. We upgraded our home to a 200-amp service and split the service between the house and the garage. Each would have its own 100-amp service.  After talking to the electrician about our power usage, we felt this would be the best option. During the upgrade, we also had the needed outlet installed to allow us to install the charger we decided to get.

Now we are ready and just waiting for the day to arrive.

The Blazer Finally arrived

 It took almost two years for our Blazer to arrive. I was finally able to drive the Blazer EV for the first time. I can say I was very impressed with the ride and handling. I found the Blazer EV to be very responsive. I had heard in some of the reviews that the Blazer EV was slow and lacked the ability to get up to speed. Is it as fast as some of the EVs on the market no. But I am not looking for a sports car. I wanted a comfortable daily driver that fit my needs.

The Blazer EV does just that. The interior is very comfortable. The cabin in spacious and very well-appointed. Unlike some of the competitors on the market, the Blazer EV is not “plain” on the inside. There are two large screens providing information for driving, navigation, and entertainment.

Daily Driving

My daily driving is kind of basic and boring. I drive about 35 miles per day between work and home if I drive to Orfordville. On days that I work at our Whitewater location 75 miles round trip. Driving a few mph over the speed limit I average between 3.2 – 3.4 miles/kWh. As I said, my daily driving is a little boring.

I have taken the Blazer on a few road trips to see what kind of range I can get. My wife and I took a little shopping trip that included a drive through the countryside. Our route started in Beloit, went to Johnson Creek then up through Madison. From there, we went to Black Earth, Belleville, and back to Beloit. The total trip was 196 miles. The Blazer EV range is rated at 279 miles at 100% charge, so the trip was well within range.

After parking the Blazer in the garage, I went over the data/energy usage from the trip and was very impressed. I still was showing 101 miles of range with 35% for the battery left. The Blazer told me it could have gone 297 miles. That’s 106% of the rated range. I have included a few screenshots below.

I think one of the best features of the Blazer EV is the regenerative braking. This does take a bit of getting used to, especially if you are using the one-peddle drive. I have found that I can regain anywhere from 10% to 15% of my range back. Example: driving 35 miles and regaining 5 miles of range. See the image below.

Range Anxiety

I have noticed that taking the Blazer EV on a road trip is a little more work than getting into my Silverado and heading out. I noticed the first few times I drove my Balzer EV I would worry about how far I could go before running out of power. I also thought things like, Can I run the HVAC systems? How much power is the radio using? Do I have to drive several mph under the speed limit?

Guess what I figured out. You can drive the EV just the same as you drive your ICE (internal combustion engine vehicle). Will affect your range yes. The day I did my 196-mile road trip, it was over 80 degrees. I had the air on, the ventilated seats were running, the radio going, and I still got over the average range.

However, I have opted out of taking the Blazer EV on a longer road trip to Kentucky. I did my research, and knew where all the charging stations are located. But I kept coming back to the what-ifs. What if the charger is broken? What if there is a line waiting to charge? What if the Blazer won’t charge?

I had only had the Blazer EV for a few weeks at the time and was very unfamiliar with the range and I had never used a public charger. But, knowing what I know now I would be very comfortable taking the Blazer on a long trip. Range anxiety is real and is one of the biggest disadvantages of owning an EV.

I had only had the Blazer EV for a few weeks at the time and was very unfamiliar with the range and I had never used a public charger. But, knowing what I know now I would be very comfortable taking the Blazer on a long trip. Range anxiety is real and is one of the biggest disadvantages of owning an EV.

Home Charging

I do most of my charging at home. For the most part, it is convenient. I pull into the garage plug in and walk away. I do have the Blazer scheduled to charge during off-peak hours. On a normal day, I use about 16 kWh of power.

The most common question I am asked is, “Isn’t it expensive to charge at home?” No, it costs me about $40/month to charge. My local rates are $.08/kWh. 16 kwh x $.08 = $1.28/day. Below is a chart comparing the yearly cost of electricity vs gasoline.

I have had a few issues with home charging. I have 200-amp service coming into the house. This is split between the home and the garage with each having its own 100-amp service. I also have a NEMA 14-50 outlet.

About a month into owning my Blazer the charging circuit started to trip. I contacted the Chevrolet EV concierge and we ran through some troubleshooting with no solution to the issue. I thought, “It can’t be the circuit, it was just installed”.

I called the electrician and had them come by to check the circuit. As the electrician pulled the breaker out, he said, “That shouldn’t rattle like that.” Turns out there was a bad breaker causing scorching on one of the wires. If it wouldn’t have been for the heavy constant draw the Blazer demands while charging, I would have never known I had an issue and could have had a fire.

Public Charging

I have only had the need to use a public charger a few times. A few things did surprise me during my charging sessions, speed and cost.

Each time I have used a public charger I was in and out in about 30 minutes. I also never reached the full 190 kW. The max I was able to reach was about 150 kW. This did add about 78 miles of range in a little over to minutes. Even though I never reached the full charging capacity the Blazer EV could handle, I did feel I was able to get in and out of the charging station relatively quickly.

That brings us to cost. I found that using a public charger actually cost me more per mile the filling a driving my ICE vehicle (2018 Silverado). For me, this is a huge drawback when owning an EV. I can pull up to a pump, fill my tank, and get about 400 miles of range in my Silverado in a little over 5 minutes. Costing me about $65. To get a similar range in my EV I would need to charge twice costing me about $70 and an hour of time.

The Chart below shows what my cost would be if I used a public charger on a daily basis to charge my EV.

My Overall Opinion 

Reflecting on my journey with the Blazer EV, I can confidently say that transitioning to an electric vehicle has been a transformative experience. From the meticulous planning and home upgrades to the real-world driving and charging scenarios, I’ve come to appreciate the nuances of EV ownership. The Blazer EV has proven to be a reliable and comfortable daily driver, offering impressive range and efficiency, even on extended road trips. The regenerative braking system, once I got used to it, became a standout feature, enhancing the overall driving experience by maximizing energy recovery.

Despite initial range anxiety and a few hiccups with home charging, the benefits of driving an EV have far outweighed the challenges. The convenience of home charging, coupled with the cost savings compared to gasoline, has made the Blazer EV a practical choice for my daily needs. While public charging can be more expensive and time-consuming, the overall experience has been positive, and I’ve gained confidence in the vehicle’s capabilities. Looking ahead, I am excited to continue my EV journey, knowing that the Blazer EV will serve me well for years to come.