Not all electric cars are priced out of reach. Chevrolet's updated Bolt and all-new Bolt EUV start below $30,000, the latter even offering Super Cruise – a hands-free driving feature none of its competitors have. New for 2023, Chevy has ratcheted up the EUV’s swagger with the available Redline Appearance Package while also slashing its MSRP by over $6,000.
2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV
- All-Electric Utility Vehicle
- Available Super Cruise
- Includes Home Charger Installation
- Model: Bolt EUV Premier
- Engine: Electric
- Power Output: 200 HP
- Torque: 266 LB-FT
- Range: 247 Miles
- Transmission: Single-Speed
- Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive
- MSRP: $28,195
- MSRP (As Tested): $37,885
- Sub-$30,000 Starting Price
- 247 Miles Of Driving Range
- Excellent Electronics Features
- Slow DC Charging Rate
- Some Cheap Interior Bits
- All-wheel Drive Not Available
The EUV Has Entered The Chat
When I first tested the Bolt five years ago the top trim model came in at under $44,000 before a sizable federal tax credit and provided a healthy 238 miles of driving range; a breakthrough moment for mass-produced EVs. As the all-electric successor to the popular Volt hybrid, the Bolt immediately left early adopter EVs like the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi i-MiEV in its electron beam. Heavily refreshed for the 2022 model year, the Bolt also welcomed its bigger brother, the Bolt EUV, to the electric family.
Though both cars share a platform, the EUV’s sheet metal is unique and it’s about six inches longer overall, three of which are bestowed upon the legroom of rear seat passengers. Cargo volume between the two Bolts is virtually the same. The EUV’s styling may personify a small SUV but it’s only a tad taller, rides upon the same 17-inch wheels and can’t be specified with all-wheel drive. And because it is carrying around nearly 100 pounds of additional weight, the EUV’s driving range is slightly diminished: 247 miles versus 259 miles.
Redline Looks
So as not to bury the lede, the Bolt EUV is an excellent little EV. It may not be much of a looker – even with the Redline flair, but it drives well, comes standard with lots of EV-specific features and is built upon a dedicated electric platform free of ICE compromises. GM has been doing Redline editions for years and the Bolt EUV is next in line. For an additional $495, the Redline Appearance Package includes a black interior with red stitching, black wheels with red accents, red stripes on the side view mirrors and a red and black model badge.
Think of it as a modicum of extra sportiness for a vehicle that’s a little dowdy but not at all slow. My favorite moment this week was taking a douche-driven, lifted Ford Heavy Duty Power Stroke off the line while watching his face turn red in my rear camera mirror. Zero-to-60 mph arrives in 7.0-seconds flat but feels much quicker in around the town driving where the 266 pound-feet of torque is delivered instantaneously. There’s even a sport mode that adds a little zing to the electrifying acceleration.
Fast Charging, Slowly
Placed in the floor of the vehicle, the nearly 1,000-pound lithium-ion battery can store 65 kWh of electricity. It feeds an electric motor generating 200 horsepower and is mated to a single-speed transmission driving the front wheels. But while most modern EVs can handle DC charge rates of at least 100 kW, the Bolt’s six-year-old electrical architecture can only intake at a rate of 50 kW. That means fast charging the vehicle at the slowest DC rate commonly available contributes a mere 95 miles of range per 30 minutes.
Do the math and getting to an 80-percent charge takes over an hour. The good news is that Chevy covers the cost of a Level 2 home charger installation, a potential savings of $2,000. When using a 240-volt charger the Bolt EUV can be completely filled in about seven hours and a number of energy suppliers now offer off-peak electricity rates. Chevy has placed the charge port on the front left fender. The battery and its components are covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty.
Smart EV Tools
Chevy does such a great job of welcoming those new to EV ownership by assuaging range anxiety and educating through electronics. Whether it’s via the OnStar mobile app, the over 10-inch touchscreen or robust driver display, there’s easily digestible EV-specific information at your fingertips. Energy flow, detailed info on how the electricity is being used and by what, potential impacts to driving range, efficiency history and charging variables – it’s all here and presented very smartly.
Contributing to efficiency is regenerative braking that harnesses the energy generated by slowing the vehicle to put some juice back into the battery. The Bolt EUV also has a one-pedal drive mode in addition to paddles on the steering wheel that can be used on demand. It’s an easy car to drive smoothly once you practice the timing of lifting off the accelerator to slow down.
Super Cruise In A Chevy!
But the EUV’s most notable feature – and it’s not available on the standard Bolt – is Super Cruise. A $2,200 option on this top-of-the-line Premier trim, it’s a must-have. Until recently, this hands-free highway driving technology had been reserved for high-end Cadillac models and makes it Chevy debut here. It’s included free of charge for 3 years at which point owners will need to buy a Super Cruise Plan through OnStar.
Bargain Priced
MSRP of this Bolt EUV Premier Redline with the Sun & Sound and Super Cruise packages is $37,885. The price cut offsets the loss of the previously available $7,500 federal tax credit. It’s undoubtedly a bargain but in order to offer it at that price Chevy has had to pinch some pennies here and there. The roster of features is robust with nearly all the conveniences of a luxury model.
But areas such as the thin sounding seven-speaker audio system, the use of hard plastics, absence of rear HVAC controls, manual liftgate and torsion beam rear suspension are reminders this isn’t a Toyota bZ4X. The ride quality and decibel level in the cabin are also down a rung from that next class of EVs. They’re not dealbreakers by any means, but taking inventory of such items edifies as to how Chevy can keep the Bolt EUV’s price in check.
Because it’s built upon GM’s previous generation EV platform, the Bolt and Bolt EUV are scheduled for retirement sometime in 2024 when a series of replacements is expected but not yet confirmed.