Road Test: 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV
In the face of ever-rising gas prices, getting an electric vehicle is constantly on the mind of consumers across the country, with the Chevrolet Bolt on the short list of numerous car shoppers. For 2022, Chevrolet offers a new version of the Bolt, called the Bolt EUV, which is 6 inches longer than the standard Bolt and offers 3 inches more rear legroom, making the EUV a viable alternative to a small SUV with the proportions to match. EVs have long been thought of as penalty boxes, having their drivers trade size and comfort in exchange for efficiency, but our week-long experience with the Bolt EUV proved otherwise.
With a 65+ kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, the Bolt EUV has a range of up to 247 miles on a full charge and comes standard with DC fast-charging capability, which can add up to 95 miles of range in 30 minutes of charging. The EUV comes with a single electric motor generating up to 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft or torque, providing it with instant pick-up when accelerating onto a highway or from a stoplight. Having driven the Bolt EUV on an over 100-mile round-trip commute, we appreciated the range and fast-charging capabilities, visiting EVgo stations when we needed the extra range in a short range of time, in one instance getting 50 to 60 additional miles after 20 minutes. In another instance, we managed to charge from 25% to 70% capacity within an hour, adding at least 120 miles of range.
Despite being considered a mainstream electric vehicle, the Bolt EUV is available with features that were once the domain of luxury vehicles. Our test example was the fully-loaded Bolt EUV Premier version with the Sun & Sound Package, Super Cruise Package, and Redline Appearance Package. The Premier trim comes with luxury features such as an 8-way power driver’s seat with 2-way adjustable power lumbar support, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, and adaptive cruise control. The Sun & Sound Package added an excellent 7-speaker Bose sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus with navigation, negating the need for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay when on the go.
All of these features made the Bolt EUV a comfortable place to be, especially on long commutes in the cold morning weather of Northern California in the winter, where we cherished how the Bolt EUV would automatically warm up the seats and steering wheel as soon as we got into the driver’s seat. We imagine the cooling feature of the seats will be very welcome to those in hot-weather climates. The Bose stereo was another high point, providing excellent sound from the SiriusXM satellite radio and making our time in the driver’s seat a more enjoyable experience. We unfortunately couldn’t open the panoramic sunroof due to the rainy and cold weather, but we were amazed that a car with such a small footprint could accommodate such a large opening.
Those who opt for the Bolt EUV likely need additional room, and they will not be disappointed with the cargo space, which allows for 56.9 cubic feet of items with the 60/40-split rear seat folded. Back seat passengers appreciated the extra legroom in the back and also liked the airy nature of the cabin, helped by the panoramic sunroof. Another characteristic that added to the comfortable nature of the Bolt EUV was the One Pedal Driving feature, which enabled us to speed up, slow down, and even stop using just the accelerator pedal. A side benefit was the fact that One Pedal Driving allowed us to take advantage of the regenerative braking, making the Bolt EUV even more efficient in stop-and-go city driving conditions.
One very notable feature of the Bolt EUV we tested was the Super Cruise Package, which made 50+ mile commutes on the highway much more relaxing. Utilizing a Driver Attention System (which uses a small camera on top of the steering column to monitor the driver) along with real-time precise positioning cameras, the adaptive cruise control system, sensors, and LiDAR map data to help detect curves, Super Cruise allows the driver to operate the car hands-free on certain highways. We tried out Super Cruise for ourselves on the highway and were amazed at how well the system responded to curves as well as other traffic. Changing lanes does involve human input and awareness, but Super Cruise can automatically engage as soon as the turn signal goes off.
The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus system with its 10.2-inch screen in the center was very intuitive and was easily able to understand our voice commands, a necessity in high-traffic situations. Steering wheel controls were also straightforward and we could pay attention to the road while taking phone calls, checking vehicle information, changing radio stations, or locating a new destination on the navigation system. Other standard conveniences included wireless phone charging in the center console, wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, and keyless open and start.
Safety features also abound in the Bolt EUV, being geared more towards families with its extra interior room and proportions. Automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, and lane keep assist come standard. Going for the Premier trim brings a blind zone area warning and alert system, rear camera mirror, and high-definition surround view, which helps a lot when parallel parking in urban environments.
As for pricing, with a standard price of $31,700 for the higher-end Premier trim that our test vehicle had, the cost of the Bolt EUV is very competitive with other EVs on the market. With the $2,495 Sun & Sound Package,the $2,200 Super Cruise Package (which we wholeheartedly recommend), and the $495 Redline Appearance Package along with the $995 destination charge, the total price was $37,885, which is noticeably less expensive compared to the competition, especially considering the high-tech and convenience features the Bolt EUV possesses.
All in all, the Bolt EUV is an excellent take on what the consummate electric vehicle can be for the typical new car shopper. With operating costs lower than that of an internal combustion vehicle, a range that can cover over 90% of the trips that a regular household takes, the size of a small SUV, and a price in line with the average new car purchase today, the Bolt EUV can be the jack-of-all-trades EV that consumers are looking for. After our time with the Bolt EUV, we came away awed by how good it was and we think it deserves a place on the shortlist of anyone shopping for an electric vehicle that can easily take on the day-to-day duties and journeys.
