Chevy Bolt EUV
Likes:
Starting price is attractive.
Spacious for its small portions.
Plenty of zip around town.
An easy car to live with.
Dislikes:
No fast charge.
It takes forever to charge.
Range is limited.
The Chevy Bolt EUV is one of the most affordable electric cars you can ever purchase. We’ve spent a week with one to see if it would persuade us to consider one. After the week, we’ve learned a lot about electric cars. We feel that despite it being so “cheap”. It’s a good overall package, however, it isn’t the best package out there. Here’s why.
Tesla may have the best electric vehicles in terms of range. However, not everyone can afford one. Thus, the Bolt EUV is the perfect package. It starts at $28,000* and rises up to $37,000* depending upon which trim level you choose. (LT and Premier). We were given the Premier trim level which came kitted with ventilated leather seats, heated steering wheel and a very nice panoramic sunroof. However, $37,000 isn’t anything to snuff at. But, compared to a Model 3 we’ve seen. This is pretty much a decent deal.
Driving the Bolt EUV is an easy affair. Its dinky dimensions make it easy to navigate around town and narrow parking bays. We love how quick the Bolt EUV feels on its feet. You can zip around town with sheer confidence. Steering feedback is good, and it handles quite nicely as well. However, on faster paced roads. You may wish you had a bit more flexibility as it struggles to keep up with faster traffic. Also, when you really put your foot down the range does suffer. And we are putting this mildly. Overall, it’s an easy vehicle to live with if you keep a light foot on the throttle. The ride comfort is decent. It’s not luxury car comfortable but it’s better than most comparable vehicles we’ve driven (non-electric). We say this in terms of pricing.
Living with a Bolt EUV is more of a lifestyle choice than anything else. Let me explain. Petrol-powered vehicles you can fill up your tank in a few seconds or minutes and be done. Electric cars, you’ll have to wait for it to recharge. Depending upon the vehicle you choose. Tesla and many other electric cars out there have fast charge capability. Meaning that you can get from a low percentage to 80% in less than 30 minutes. However, with the Bolt EUV. There is no such thing as “fast charging”. You’ll be waiting the full hour or maybe longer depending upon where you are recharging the batteries from. I highly suggest that you go once you’re at half battery. The Bolt has an estimated 247 miles of range. Which in theory should be enough for a commute to and from work. However, that’s a “theory”. When you are in stop and go traffic, using the air-con or heated seats. Well, any type of accessory that will drain the battery fast. You’ll immediately see why the Bolt’s small range can be a bit of a headache. You’re forced to choose comfort over range. I don’t mind giving up a bit of comfort, however, when it’s almost 80 degrees with the sun beaming into the cabin and you’re in stop and go traffic. You’re going to want to have some comfort after a while. Again, we constantly keep mentioning Tesla. However, the Model Y we test drove seem to have a better balance of range and comfort. We had the air-con on and it didn’t harm the range as badly as in the Bolt EUV. Again, we know the price point between the two vehicles. However, we are just mentioning this because you are giving up quite a bit in terms of everyday usability with the Bolt EUV.
The cabin has a nice feel in terms of materials and quality. The large 8-inch display is very easy to navigate through. Apple Carplay is seamless to use overall. The driving position is spot on good. You can see monitor the corners of the car with sheer confidence. The boot is generous in space. If you need more space you can fold down the rear seats.
Do we see ourselves owning a Bolt EUV? Yes and No. We say “yes” because it’s a decent electric vehicle to own. If your commute is short and you don’t mind compromising on some comfort features. The Bolt EUV is the perfect commuter car. However, we say “no” because the range is quite limited. There’s no fast charging so you’re going to be waiting at the charging station for a while. I don’t mind giving up the time while waiting because I was able to do homework or work-related tasks. I was even able to do a few TikTok videos, edit them and post them. Yes, you will be waiting an hour for recharging.
Living with the Bolt EUV has shown us that electric car technology has come a long way. We know there are better options out there. Many of them can use fast charging. We feel that those are better options in the long-term. Owners who have a garage will enjoy the Bolt EUV because you can simply plug it in at night and use it the next morning. However, those like us who don’t have that luxury. The Bolt EUV is more compromised and doesn’t make a convincing argument for us. We loved it overall, but we just wish the range wasn’t compromised and there was fast charging capability.
