Looking for a sub-$30,000 electric car and want more performance and range than a Nissan Leaf? Then you've got the choice between the Chevrolet Bolt EV and its crossover sibling, the Bolt EUV. Both vehicles come with their own strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately, the decision comes down to small details. The more car-like Bolt EV is lighter and nimbler, has better performance, more range, and more luggage space. The Bolt EUV, on the other hand, offers more rear legroom, a panoramic sunroof for a more open feel, and the option of Super Cruise for semi-autonomous driving. If you are doing most of your driving alone and/or in the city, you'll find that the Bolt EV is the best driver's car. The extra features of the EUV perhaps make it a better choice if you have kids or are routinely carrying your family around on road trips, where the more pleasant and comfortable cabin can be more enjoyable for those traveling in the back seats. However, whether this is worth the $1,600 premium over the base Bolt EV is up to you to decide.
Chevrolet has updated the pricing of its electric vehicles, making the Bolt EV and its sibling, the Bolt EUV, the cheapest electric cars you can buy in the U.S. Both offerings now come below the $30,000 mark, a feat only matched by the Nissan Leaf in the segment. But which one should you buy - the sleeker Bolt EV or, the more crossover-ish, larger Bolt EUV? Let's explore the advantages and disadvantages of the two models, so you can make a better-informed decision when springing for your new EV purchase.
Updated May 28, 2023: The Chevy Bolt EV and Chevy Bolt EUV have received a bad reputation throughout the few years it has been around, leading to their early retirement. The thing is, though, that the car is one of the biggest sellers for GM, so instead of giving up on the EV and the EUV, we have decided to refresh this list and show you why it is still a great car to get your hands on while you can.
1 The Bolt EV Has More Oomph Than The Bolt EUV
Both versions come with the same front-axle-mounted, permanent magnet motor (PSM), developing a solid 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, driving the front wheels through a single-gear 7.05 final drive reduction. The Bolt EV has to carry 90 pounds fewer though (3,589 vs. 3,679 pounds) and, as a result, is a bit faster. The 0-to-60 sprint in the Bolt EV takes a respectable 6.5 seconds, which was hot-hatch territory until not long ago. The EUV is half a second slower to the same speed, clocking in at 7.0 seconds flat, according to GM. The Bolt EV is also nimbler and easier to maneuver around town and in tight spots. Its wall-to-wall turning circle has a diameter of 34.8 feet, a whopping 3.5 feet shorter than the EUVs at 38.3 feet.
2 The Bolt EUV Offers More Interior Room Than The Bolt EV
American buyers love a good crossover, and the Chevy Bolt EUV has advantages over its smaller sibling. The wheelbase is 105.3 inches long, measuring 2.9 inches longer than the Bolt's 102.4 inches. Effectively, this has added 3.1 inches more legroom for the rear seat occupants: 39.1 inches versus 36.0 inches. This helps increase the total passenger volume by 2.6 cubic feet, up to 96.5 cubic feet from the Bolt EV's 93.9 cubic feet. However, the more tapered shape of the EUV comes with some minor downsides. There's 0.1 inches less headroom, 0.8 inches less shoulder room, and 0.4 inches less hip room in the rear compared with the Bolt EV.
3 The Bolt EV Offers A Better Range
Both vehicles share the same 65 kWh battery pack, but the leaner Bolt EV can go further with the same amount of juice. While the EUV offers a range of 247 miles, the Bolt EV can go as far as 259 miles on a single charge, a 12-mile benefit. It doesn't sound like much, but it could be the difference between making it home or to the charging station before depleting the battery. Or, at least that's what prospective owners will think, and the EV offers more peace of mind. Owners of both versions will likely see their vehicles go as far in the real world as their EPA-rated ranges.
4 The Bolt EV Charges Faster Than The Bolt EUV
The Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV will gain about four miles in approximately one hour of charging at 120 volts and charge completely in about seven hours at 240 volts. It's when making use of DC fast charge that the EV offers slightly better charging performance. It will gain 100 miles in 30 minutes, while the EUV only achieves 95 percent of this figure.
5 The Bolt EUV Is A 'Super Cruiser'
The Bolt EUV comes with GM's semi-autonomous driving tech called Super Cruise. *The system allows hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada, primarily highways (as the system only works on roads with a separator for oncoming traffic). A green bar on top of the steering wheel indicates the feature is in use. It turns blue when in manual steering mode and flashes red when it needs direct input from the driver, for whatever reason. The system makes the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV a credible alternative to the much more expensive Tesla models with Autopilot technology. As yet, the "normal" Bolt EV doesn't get this feature, which is a strong point in favor of the EUV.
6 The Bolt EV Can (Surprisingly) Haul More Stuff
The EUV has 16.3 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 56.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, down from 16.6 cubic feet and 57 cubic feet, respectively, in the Bolt EV, despite being larger at 6.3 inches longer, 0.2 inches wider and 0.1 inches taller. The sloping roofline might be responsible for this, as it robs the trunk of some valuable storage space.
7 The Bolt EV's Interior Is Different From The Bolt EUV
Unlike the Chevy Bolt EV, the EUV also offers the choice of a panoramic roof, which makes the cabin feel roomier and airier, although at the cost of some front-seat headroom. The interior colors for the Bolt EV come in one, Jet Black, while the Bolt EUV has a few choices to go with. Adaptive cruise control is standard in the EUV while optional on the EV, but the EUV is the only model that comes with cooled front seats. Another option not available on the Chevy Bolt EV is rear heated seats, which is standard on the Chevrolet Bolt EUV.
8 The Safety Rating For The Chevy Bolt EV Is Slightly Better Than The Bolt EUV
Safety is one of the most important aspects of any vehicle today. The Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the Chevy Bolt EUV, have both been through the paces at the testing grounds of the United States NHTSA and for the most part, they both did very well. For the overall rating, which is what most of you look at before buying a car, the EV and EUV both got 5-star ratings, which is the best they can get. Moving on down the rating list, they scored five stars on the frontal barrier and side crash ratings. However, the one difference between the two shows up when the rollover rating was tested. The Bolt EV received a five-star rating, while the Bolt EUV only pulled a 4 out of five-star rating, making it slightly less safe overall than its sibling.
9 The Chevy Bolt EUV Is More Of A Traveling Free Spirit
One of the most enjoyable things to do today is to pack a bag, jump in the car, and hit the roads. Traveling across the state, or across the country, without a care in the world. At least until you have to return to the nine-to-five world of daily life. When it comes to this relaxing point of travel, the Chevy Bolt EUV far outshines the Bolt EV because of two distinct reasons. First, a luggage rack is built on the roof to haul more needed items. Second, the Bolt EUV has a built-in navigation system, so you never have to worry about getting lost while out on your adventures.
10 The Chevy Bolt EUV Has A Higher Customer Satisfaction Rating
When you doubt which model to buy, the most common thing to check is what other owners say about the cars you are considering. The best place to review that is on a site such as Consumer Reports. In this case, the customer satisfaction ratings are relatively close, but in the end, the winner of the 2023 model is the Chevrolet Bolt EUV by a seven percent margin. 72-percent of the Bolt EUV owners were happy with their vehicles and would repurchase them, while 65% of the Bolt EV owners said the same. Since both are well about the halfway point, it is safe to say that both the Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV are good choices when buying a car.