NEW CHEVY BOLT MAINTAINS FUN AND HIKES RANGE
TACOMA, WASH. “Bold” best described Chevrolet when it unveiled the all-electric Bolt three years ago. With exceptional fullcharge range and decent affordability, the four-door hatch was hailed as an “EV game-changer,” and deservedly hauled in an impressive number of global car awards for 2017.
Move ahead three years and the Bolt gets its first major upgrade, one that I can happily report improves the already good range by some 10 per cent and adds a handful of camera hardware upgrades, but regretfully does not address to me what was one of the original Bolt’s biggest shortcomings. And that is uncomfortable, manually operated front seats.
What is it with GM and seats in its electrified vehicles? The otherwise revolutionary Volt PHEV suffered critics’ slings and arrows surrounding its four-seat configuration in the first-gen version just as the Bolt was rightfully pilloried for its front seats, which offer little bolstering and little give on the bottom seat cushion. And it’s not just picky auto scribes; after extolling the fun-to-drive nature and impressive powertrain in my First Drive of the 2017 Bolt, I received a handful of emails from prospective Bolt buyers who didn’t complete the transaction due to those bulky front seats. All that said, seems comfort is in the butt of the beholder as the Bolt is the third bestselling EV in the U.S. so far this year, behind only the mighty Tesla Model X and top-selling Model 3.
OK, so no seat updates, in my opinion at least, is the one bit of disappointing news about the 2020 Bolt.
The good news is that aforementioned increased full-charge range, rated at 417 kilometres, some 34 kilometres better than the original Bolt. More impressive, Chevrolet engineers did so without increasing the weight or size of the 66 kwh battery pack. Instead, with partners LG they reworked the battery’s chemistry within the 96 cell groups to improve the range. Increasing range is first-and-foremost in any EV upgrade, so kudos to the Bolt team for making that the focus of its job.
In addition, the new Bolt’s 417-km range bests the reigning affordable EV in range, the 2019 Hyundai Kona by two kilometres, and is 31 kilometres better than the third-place Tesla Model 3 (Standard Range Plus).
In terms of full charge times, according to Chevrolet, it is 10 hours using a 240-volt system (30 minutes longer than the previous model), while DC Fast Charge can add up to 160 kilometres in just 30 minutes.
Power output and torque remain the same from the 2019 Bolt — 200 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft respectively — as do the suspension and brakes, meaning the driving dynamics of the 2020 Bolt are identical to the 2017-19 Bolt. Which certainly isn’t a bad thing as apart from the Volkswagen e- Golf, the Bolt is the most fun-to-drive vehicle in the affordable EV segment.
Despite its seemingly tall stature, the hatchback’s short wheelbase and low centre of gravity provide a fantastic platform for handling. At the conclusion of our drive down the Pacific coast from Tacoma to Portland, we had the opportunity to put the Bolt through a tight, coned course at Portland International Raceway. Apart from being a grin-inducing blast, this exercise underscored the solid driving dynamics of the Bolt. It’s one thing to feel them through twisty double-lane blacktop through rural Washington state; it’s quite another to grip the beefy sport steering wheel and throw the Bolt into a coned hairpin with confidence. Granted, prospective buyers of the 2020 Bolt aren’t looking to tick the “rally course-ready” box on their shopping list, but it certainly doesn’t damage the EV’S appeal knowing it boasts such driving bona fides.
Another hallmark and defining feature of the original Bolt was its “one-pedal driving” innovation. Put the gear selector into low, and maximum regenerative braking takes hold, allowing you to not only harvest the maximum amount of energy from the brakes but also come to a complete stop without depressing the brake pedal. Just take your foot off the accelerator and the Bolt will come to a stop on its own.
The exact same system is on board the 2020 Bolt, and it showed its benefits during stopand-go traffic during morning rush hour heading south out of Tacoma on I-5. Instead of endlessly alternating between pedals — accelerating, braking, accelerating, braking — you just press the accelerator gently, then take your foot off to stop. A much more relaxing way to negotiate otherwise frustrating gridlock.
In total there are four regen modes utilizing the Bolt’s “regenon-demand”
flipper on the lefthand side of the steering column. Each EV automaker has come up with its own unique control system for regen settings — from paddle shifters to dashboard buttons to centre console shifter — but for my liking the Bolt’s is the best and most intuitive.
Apart from the increased range, there are just a handful of changes to the new Bolt (making the 2020 simply an upgrade and not a “second-generation”’ model). On the outside, this includes a textured front grille replacing the former smooth one, and two new colour choices: Cayenne Orange Metallic and Oasis Blue.
In terms of tech, there’s a high-definition surround view camera in place of a standard backup camera, and a high-definition rear-view camera mirror on Premier models.
The discontinuation of the aforementioned Volt was a big disappointment for fans of that plug-in hybrid, as its gas-electric powertrain offered arguably the best “real-world” adaptation of electric mobility to date.
Hopes are that the powertrain will show up in future GM vehicles, particularly a small SUV, which was long-rumoured as the Volt’s natural successor.
Instead, it is the 2020 Bolt that is regarded by the automaker as the springboard for what it says is a number of all-new EVS, the first of which most likely will sport a Cadillac badge. And that will be sooner rather than later as GM has promised to bring to market 20 new battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles globally by 2023.
And so while the upgraded
Bolt might not carry the “bold” statement of its predecessor, it does point the way for a very bold future in EVS for its parent company.
The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt is being delivered to Canadian showrooms this month.