New EV bigger, better and now drives itself
A VERY CLEVER CAR FULL OF SMART ENGINEERING
For the 2022 model year, Chevrolet’s all-electric Bolt is all new, and it gets a second body style, the Bolt EUV. In Canada, the Bolt starts at $38,198. Move up $2,000 to $40,198, and you will find the Bolt EUV.
Despite what the name and plastic cladding implies, the Bolt EUV is not any taller than the standard Bolt. It is, however, 6.3 inches (16 centimetres) longer than the Bolt, and has longer overhangs front and back. This provides more rear legroom (front legroom is unaffected), and more cargo space. I would consider that a good trade, even if the range drops from 417 to 397 km in the EUV.
Our tester was a fully loaded Premium model, which starts at $43,698. Stepping up to this trim gets you adaptive cruise control, heated and ventilated seats, 360-degree camera, and Supercruise, which works on a huge system of premapped highways across North America, and can generally be engaged on most divided highways.
Supercruise allows you to travel down a highway without your hands on the wheel or feet on the pedals, but you do have to keep your eyes
on the road. The Bolt makes sure you do so via a small camera at the base of the steering column that monitors where you are looking. Stare at that scenic red barn out your passenger window for too long and it will beep at you until you return to being a safe, conscientious driver with your eyes on the road.
The steering feel is surprisingly good, the car is well insulated from road and wind noise, and the HVAC controls are clear and easy to use. There are some peculiarities arising from its electric nature, but most of them are good. For example, unlike a gas car with its tall engine, the Bolt EUV and most electrics keep their
heavy battery mounted under the floor. So despite having a side profile reminiscent of a London phone booth, the Bolt EUV doesn’t roll drastically in corners, and lateral stability is excellent. The other upside of this layout is that the Bolt EUV is much smoother over bumps, and rolls less than other tall hatches.
Even when passing cars at highway speeds, the Bolt EUV never lacked for punch, and it would even squeal the tires from a stoplight. But all that exuberant driving will cost you. Travelling along in the Bolt EUV above 110 km/h noticeably decreases the vehicle’s projected range. Handily, the Bolt EUV provides three range figures on
the dashboard: a best case, a worst case, and an average between the two. If you are travelling above 115 km/h, you will be getting the “worst case” range for sure.
Charging with a conventional 110V house plug takes more than 24 hours, but you can gain about 35 km of range via an overnight charge with this method. The next rung up is a 220V “home charger” or “welding socket.” This will fully charge the Bolt in about eight hours. The top tier, direct current (DC) charging, can ram 350V down the throat of the Bolt EUV for a measured amount of time. You can’t DC fastcharge an EV from one per cent to 100 per cent, but you can fast-charge it from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in about 40 minutes.
The fast chargers I used were exclusively from Petro Canada. Unlike many other charger networks, the Petro Canada units don’t require a phone app or prepayment to function. They function almost exactly like a gas pump, except that you are charged for your time at the “pump” ($0.33 per minute), not the amount of electricity you receive.
Is getting an EV worth the extra cost? This is the mostasked question. The answer is: It could be but it depends on your vehicle use. The Bolt EUV is cheap for an EV, but not cheap for a car of its size. Comparable vehicles could easily be had with gasoline power for $15,000 less. But being able to waft to work in silence and hands-free on the highway is a true convenience, and not one you’re likely to find anywhere else for less money. And if you have a charger at your workplace, your commute could even be free for you.
In the end, I think people will buy the Chevy Bolt EUV, not because it’s a very clever car full of smart engineering (which it is), but because it’s silent, it’s electric, it’s cheap to operate, and it offers a driving sensation unlike that of a gas car. The Bolt is good; the Bolt EUV is better.
Even when passing cars at highway speeds, the Bolt EUV never lacked for punch, and it would even squeal the tires from a stoplight. — Clayton Seams