The Chevy Bolt is one of Chevrolets’ greatest kept secrets. After a brief life, Chevy decided the Bolt did its job and was ready to retire it, but consumers had other ideas.
After outcry GM officials decided to reverse the decision and announced there would be a new generation. While it still remains unknown when that will be, there’s still a few model years from the current generation for you to pick from. Let’s take a closer look at why this vehicle was a favorite with drivers all around the US.
Key takeaways
- The Bolt comes with self-sealing tires, making it easy to keep going to a safe location when the tire has a small puncture.
- The Bolt has a range of 238 miles, and can be charged rather quickly at a level 3 charger making sure that you don’t have to wait long to get in and go.
- Models after 2022 gained more comfort for the interior with extra padding for the seats as well as having a slightly larger area.
First Generation (2017-2023)
The Bolt hit the ground running in 2017, quickly becoming one of the best-selling plug-in vehicles in its first year, even battling for first place. The vehicle went through rigorous testing both at home, and overseas. The areas being looked at were ride and handling dynamics, cabin comfort, quietness, charging capability, and energy efficiency. This testing was done to make sure that Bolt owners would have the best vehicle possible.
In 2022, the Bolt saw its first refresh. The areas that were revised were the front, rear, and interior of the vehicle. The exterior of the vehicle saw new headlights, and taillights, giving the vehicle a newer modern look. The front of the exterior also saw the addition of a new faux-grille. The rear of the vehicle saw a new tailgate hatch that differed from the previous design of the vehicle that helped make it stand out from the older ones.
The interior also saw a few changes aimed at comfort and utility. The first change was the gear shifter being replaced by gear shifter buttons. The seats also saw some changes as they were upgraded and now are slightly larger, with more padding. When in the front row, you also had access to a new, larger screen. The L2 charging system was also upgraded allowing 48 amps which is up from the 32 on the equipment that was previously installed.
In 2020, the battery gained 66kWh thanks to a change in the chemistry of the battery. This gave the vehicle 22 more miles in total range, while that’s not a huge number, it still can be quite significant when in a pinch. When connected to a level 3 charger, the Bolt can gain 150-miles on one hour of charge. When looking at the range of the battery, the Bolt has an EPA-rated range of 238 miles. This was tested by automotive reporters, and they confirmed this range to be accurate. In some cases, after the 237-mile test was concluded, the vehicle showed that it had 30 miles left to go.
While the Bolt didn’t come with a spare tire, the tires are self-sealing. The interior of the tire is coated with a sticky surface that will fill small punctures. The tires are equipped with a digital tire-pressure monitoring system to warn the driver if a tire is leaking. In the event that the tires need air, you may find a portable air compressor in the car if one was equipped.
Summary
While the Bolt isn’t currently in production, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get your hands on one. Come see us here at Jarrett to learn more about this hidden gem!