When Chevy revealed a completely new electric vehicle as a concept car at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show, there was tremendous excitement.
Looking like a cross between a BMW i3 and a Chevy Sonic hatchback, the Bolt joined the 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid to showcase GM’s renewed focus on electric vehicles.
The Bolt was particularly appealing as it promised to be the first mainstream affordable electric vehicle that offered enough range to rival a much more expensive Tesla Model S.
Initially launched with over a 380 km range battery as standard equipment, the Bolt had significantly more range than its closest competitor, the BMW i3, which only had a sub 200 km max range.
Improved range and more for 2020
At its production launch for the 2017 mode year, the Bolt largely delivered on the promises that GM made with the concept Bolt.
At a time when most affordable EVs struggled to go even 160 kms on a charge, the Bolt EV was a revolution.
Fittingly, Chevrolet decided to show off the car at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show instead of a traditional auto show. The name was renamed to “Bolt EV” so as to separate it from the “Volt”.
Nonetheless, that confusion remains today due to the similar names. Still, Chevy applied a lot of the learnings it gathered from the experience of Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid owners and applied it to the Bolt EV.
For 2020, Chevy’s engineers have tinkered with the Bolt’s battery chemistry by changing the ratio of manganese, lithium, cobalt, and nickel, to eek out about an additional 33+ km of extra range.
These updates to the energy density of the 288 cells have increased the capacity of the under floor lithium-ion battery pack from 60.0 kWh to 66.0 kWh. This now puts the Bolt EV’s total estimated range of about 416 kms to be slightly more than the Hyundai Kona Electric and the entry-level Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus.
Aside from the additional range for 2020, the only additional changes include two new exterior colours, and upgraded hardware for the Rear Vision Camera and Surround Vision camera systems. My press vehicle tester was equipped in the new Oasis Blue paint job, but a new Cayenne Orange Metallic colour is also available at additional charge.
Vehicle Interior Highlights
With lots of light thanks to huge windows all around, the Bolt has an airy interior. The low, flat floor allows for a comfortable seating position even in the rear, and there is a decent 17 cubic feet of cargo space despite the compact size of the car.
Although it is made from a combination of lightweight materials, including aluminium, magnesium, carbon fibre and woven mesh, the Bolt’s interior is more functional and techie versus luxury.
The two-toned dashboard design is interesting and helps to break up the grey bits of plastic that look a bit cheap and cheerful.
A floating instrument panel and multi-purpose connected centre console have a compartment large enough to stow an iPad, and the pixelized flecked plastic white trim befits the ethos of the Bolt and gives it added personality. I suspect that most buyers who chose the Bolt over the Tesla Model 3 or BMW i3 probably won’t care too much about the hard plastics.
The LG-supplied large LCD display screens are crisp and clear in their presentation of key driver information, and the large 10.2 inch colour infotainment touchscreen with “flip-board” operation is impressive.
My higher end “Premier” trim also included the infotainment package with a Bose premium 7-speaker system with subwoofer, wireless device charging, and two USB charging-only ports for the rear passengers.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality worked seamlessly, and there is a built-in WiFi Hotspot with available 4G LTE data, much like other GM vehicles.
While I was impressed by the multitude of electric vehicle display screens, energy coaches, and available customizations, I was also perplexed by the Bolt’s lack of a simple “remaining percentage of battery capacity left” readout.
Hard as I tried to find it, the only place that seemed to indicate this was in the Bolt’s smartphone app. Otherwise, one must contend with the Bolt’s “fuel” gauge and range-to-empty readout.
Speaking of smartphones, the Bolt also comes with standard KeyPass smartphone entry/start operation as standard equipment.
While I have heard some people complaining about the seats being a bit firm and lacking in support up front, I found them reasonably comfortable albeit lacking in lateral support.
Heated at the front and rear on my Premier trim Bolt, the car’s seating positions are rather upright like an SUV.
Additional Tech Highlights
My Premier trim Bolt EV was also fitted with a plethora of active safety systems as part of the Driver Confidence Package II. This included blindspot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist with departure warning, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, rear cross traffic alert, and rear park assist.
This package also added the IntelliBeam automatic high beam assist to the standard LED headlamp system.
For those with teenage drivers in the family, GM also offers Teen Driver Technology, an available built-in PIN code restricted system that helps to coach them even when you’re not there. It lets parents set a speed alert, a volume limit, and more.
For example, parents can enable a “Buckle to Drive” feature or mute the audio until front-seat occupants are buckled up. There is even an in-vehicle report card to track (and hopefully motivate improvements) the young driver’s performance.
Vehicle Driving Highlights
It’s not just on paper that the Bolt seems like a great vehicle. Until my review vehicle, I hadn’t spent any time in it, but could easily see why GM had big hopes for the Bolt.
In the three years since the Bolt has made its debut though, the electric vehicle landscape has changed dramatically with the notable arrival of the Hyundai Kona EV, the Kia Niro EV, the longer-range Nissan Leaf Plus, and the Tesla Model 3. Even more EVs are coming later this year.
Like the earlier versions of the Bolt, EV, the 2020 model still delivers smooth, linear acceleration off the line from its healthy 200 hp electric motor which also produces 266 lb-ft of torque. This results in a 0-100 km/hr time of 6.6 seconds.
While not necessarily unique to the Bolt, it is always a bit of a novelty to be able to drive an EV with just one pedal, speeding up and slowing down using only the accelerator pedal and allowing the regen to capture some of the kinetic energy while slowing down the vehicle.
Carried over from other GM hybrid vehicles, the Bolt also features a novel “regen on demand” feature which allows one to pull on the steering wheel mounted paddle to invoke a more aggressive level of regeneration. One can literally slow down the Bolt to a complete stop by just using the paddle.
Although the big battery allows Bolt owners to enjoy some great range between charges, it takes a long time to charge it back up. In my test on a Level 2 240-volt home charger, it can take almost 10 hours to charge from empty. Most drivers won’t need to wait that long if they top up the battery in between trips throughout the day.
An optional DC fast-charging capability, as fitted to my test vehicle, allowed about 140 km of extra range with just 30 minutes of charging at a compatible Level 3 DC fast charging station.
On the road, the Bolt’s large greenhouse makes driving a joy. Drivers can enjoy improved confidence also due to the upgraded second generation digital rearview mirror. Unlike Jaguar Land Rover’s equivalent product, GM’s also allows one to tweak the level of zoom and even adjust the image up or down.
As previously mentioned, the tailgate mounted cameras have been upgraded with a higher resolution unit, as have the cameras for the surround-view camera system.
A high pressure heated camera washer system ensures that the rear facing cameras can be cleaned at any time, even in inclement weather conditions.
Final Thoughts
All-in-all, I enjoyed my time with the Bolt EV. It’s not just an excellent EV, but a great car all around. It’s just too bad that aside from the initial buzz during launch, Chevy hasn’t really managed to get its model name out there very well.
The instant torque makes the Bolt EV fun to drive and its low centre of gravity afforded by the battery pack aids in its good handling and confidence on twisty roads. Although the ride can be a bit choppy on rougher roads, interior is a bit noisy and the unusual 7-shaped gear selector pattern is initially tricky, the Bolt continues to be a sharp EV.
Those minor complaints aside, if you’ve ever thought about going electric, the Bolt is a great alternative especially if you are turned off by the hype from Tesla fanboys.
If you want an EV with great numbers and a reasonable price, don’t forget the Bolt.
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