A practical, enjoyable electric car
Near-silent EV ticks all the boxes in looks, space and performance The new 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV is stylish and feels tailor-made for big-city driving.
It might be a fun, reasonablypriced electric car, but everyone I know commented on the same thing when they saw the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt: its bright Oasis Blue paint.
In a sea of silver crossovers it certainly stands out, but the Bolt’s appeal is more than skin deep. This otherwise regularlooking five-door hatchback hides an all-electric drivetrain and Chevy has bumped its range for the 2020 model year. The EV field has grown considerably since the Bolt debuted in 2017, so does it remain a strong contender? To find out, I spent a week gradually falling for its near-silent charms.
Chemistry major
Let’s start with that updated battery. The Bowtie boffins have improved its cell chemistry. It still occupies the same amount of physical space and still produces a healthy 200 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s now up to 66 kWh, however, which results in an additional 34 kilometres of range, bringing the total to 417.
For those quick to succumb to range anxiety, rest easy. The range puts the Bolt at the front of the pack, able to outlast the Kia Soul EV (383 km), Niro EV (385 km), Nissan Leaf Plus (363 km) and Hyundai Ioniq (274 km). Closer still is the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus at 402 km, and the Hyundai Kona EV has an NRCAN-estimated 415-km range. So the Bolt wins, if only just.
Power runs through the front wheels via a single-speed gearbox.
Function over form
Beyond the requisite blue EV badging and the front charge port, the Bolt provides few exterior hints of its battery-powered drivetrain. Hopping inside, it’s much clearer. A flat floor makes the Bolt feel far more spacious than other hatchbacks its size. The large side windows help, too, letting enough light in that the lack of sunroof barely registers. You sit quite high up, with the side window’s leading edge not feeling far above belly button level. While the low window line pays dividends in visibility, it’s somewhat negated by the large Apillars and the extra pillar of plastic behind the front quarter windows. This obscures pedestrians and even entire cars, so be extra careful at intersections.
The rest of the interior runs the gamut between good and meh. The worst offender is the dash top: it’s a huge expanse of shiny black plastic that looks and feels cheap. Move down toward the parts that normal folks will actually interact with more regularly, though, and it’s a better story. I personally love the Bolt’s unusual white tiling effect and the same-coloured smooth plastic that visually splits the dash in two.
The AC is fast-acting and powerful, though I spent most of my time in the Bolt with it off for maximum range.
The space race The Bolt’s skateboard-shaped battery pack results in an amazingly low step-in height of barely over a foot. It feels more like stepping into a living room than a car.
That flat battery pack provides a healthy amount of space in the second row, too. I was able to sit comfortably back there and it shouldn’t be a problem for two grown adults. By the numbers, the Bolt actually offers fractionally more second-row room than the bigger Tesla Model 3. The Bowtie car boasts 96.2 cm of rear headroom and 92.7 cm of rear legroom; the Model 3 posts 95.7 and 89.4 cm, respectively. The aggressive rake of the side windows does make the back row seem a little claustrophobic, however.
Trunk space, at 478 litres, is enough for a couple to do a twoweek grocery haul without issue. A handy underfloor cubby offers extra space if needed. Drop the rear seats and that number balloons to 1,602 litres.
There are a few other interior aspects that really do feel shrunken down, though. The cupholders are tight and the wireless charging port proved too tight for my iPhone. If I wanted to use CarPlay, it meant a wire either into the (also small) armrest storage or dangling over to the holster under the infotainment screen.
Afun city drive The Bolt feels tailor-made for big-city driving. It’s a torquey little thing, yet the go-pedal is calibrated to make it easy to meter out exactly as much thrust as you’d like. Those narrow, eco-friendly tires aren’t going to help at an autocross session, but they give the Bolt low limits that you can feel from the seat of your pants, without having to break local speed limits.
The Bolt also offers a “Low” drive mode, that effectively turns it into a one-pedal experience. Taking your foot off the rightmost pedal entirely has the car slowing down dramatically, enough to come to a stop in most scenarios. It feels alien at first, but isn’t terribly hard to get used to, if you’re into that sort of thing.
My one major issue with the Bolt’s ride centres on how well it handles rough pavement — or rather doesn’t. It jiggles around too much over potholes, jostling occupants and disrupting the otherwise near-silent calm an EV provides.
Tech and charging Adding range back into the Bolt can be speedy, or waiting-forthe-next-“Stranger-Things” slow. A Level 3 DC fast-charger can add 160 km in 30 minutes, which means a full charge in a little over an hour. My building is equipped with a Level 2, 240volt charger, and that recharges at a rate of around 40 km/h.
Level1chargers are about a fifth of that speed. The Bolt comes with the aforementioned 10.2-inch infotainment screen. It’s bright and colourful and a bit of an info overload at first. It’s not the most responsive system, but it is straightforward to use.
Standard features on the Premier trim ($52,198 with destination) include unique 17-inch aluminum rims, heated seats front and rear, a heated leather steering wheel, roof rails and ambient lighting. Safety assists include a lane change alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a surroundview camera and rear park assist. Also included in the Premier trim is a seven-speaker Bose system, wireless charging, and two rear-seat USB chargers.
The Driver Confidence Package ($795) adds automatic high beams, a follow distance indicator, automated emergency braking, lane keep assist and front pedestrian braking.
Verdict I was a little sad to see the Bolt go after a week. It felt like a regular car in all the right ways — looks, space, performance — while providing the calm of an EV drivetrain and the fun challenge of making the range last.
The Bolt isn’t perfect: its interior doesn’t match the price tag, it shudders over potholes, and for some, it will never hold the badge appeal of a Tesla. But it’s a practical, easy-to-use little car that feels way more eco-conscious than shoving an array of batteries into a lumbering SUV. It’s also quicker than you’d expect, which is always a fun surprise to drivers and passengers alike. Just make sure you get it in Oasis Blue.