The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV is an all-electric subcompact hatchback with no gasoline engine. It was the first electric vehicle introduced by Chevrolet, brought on the scene in 2017. The 2021 Bolt EV has an MSRP of $36,500. Its estimated mileage is 127 MPGe in the city and 108 MPGe on the highway. These numbers and the long distance the Bolt EV can cover on a single battery charge puts it on par with vehicles like Tesla in terms of performance while costing significantly less.
Though the Bolt EV is compact, it offers enough space for what it is supposed to do. With seating for five and a light frame loaded with safety features that promise a secure and smooth ride to any destination, this quiet-running car is perfect for families seeking safe, eco-friendly transportation or individual drivers who want to decrease their carbon footprint while having room to carry friends along for the ride. The Bolt EV will not be Chevy’s only electric vehicle in coming years, but this flagship has been tried and tested and has proved itself reliable. With impressive mileage and plenty of staying power, the Chevy Bolt EV is a head-turner on every road.
Exterior: Not Just a Pretty Face
The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV definitely fits the description “small but powerful.” It can run for an EPA estimated 259 miles on a single battery charge, which is accomplished through the Bolt EV’s rechargeable energy storage system. The lithium-ion battery can be charged easily at home through the included 240-volt charging unit, reaching a full charge from empty in roughly ten hours. At a public fast-charging station, it can get up to 100 miles of range with a thirty-minute charge. The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV also provides an exceptional 200 horsepower, which will surprise anyone who underestimates this unassuming vehicle.
Nine options in exterior colors exist for the 2021 Chevy Bolt EV. These are nightfall gray metallic, silver ice metallic, summit white, mosaic black metallic, kinetic blue metallic, oasis blue, cayenne orange metallic, slate gray metallic, and cajun red tintcoat. The car’s total length is 164 inches with a width of 69.5 inches and a height of 62.8 inches. This makes for a roomy interior with plenty of space for passengers and cargo. There is comfortable seating for five, and the total cargo space, with the rear seats folded down, comes to 56.6 cubic feet.
Safety is another area of priority for the 2021 Chevy Bolt EV. Multiple cameras are installed to display a digital overhead image of the area around the car. This setting is designed to make parking easier and can be used in addition to the rear vision camera to negotiate tight spaces. Forward collision alert is also available to provide warnings if the driver is following too closely, as well as automatic emergency braking to mitigate or prevent forward collisions. Also available for the 2021 Chevy Volt EV is front pedestrian braking, which gives alerts and provides automatic hard emergency braking to help avoid pedestrians in the road.
Every 2021 Chevy Bolt EV comes with ten airbags as standard. These include side curtain airbags, front knee airbags, and front side airbags. In crash testing carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Bolt EV earned five stars overall. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its highest rating of Good in most categories and named it a Top Safety Pick. With these features and ratings, you know that you can count on the Bolt EV to keep you safe no matter what happens on the road.
Interior: A Modern Ride
The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV can be described as having a modern interior, with standard leather trim and futuristic styling. Everything is designed with an eye toward minimalism, so no space is wasted. From the cockpit, Bolt EV drivers have a nearly complete field of vision thanks to large windows and a dual-tone dashboard. These dual tones offer a less distracting line of sight, helped even more by the raised seat and less restrictive view offered to the driver through the installation of a curved dash.
The Bolt EV offers a full 39.7 inches of headroom and 41.6 inches of legroom in the front seats. The back seats enjoy 37.9 inches of headroom and 36.5 inches of legroom with a 60/40 split rear seat. Also included is a cargo cover to place over the cargo area, giving you the privacy of a trunk as well as the flexibility of a hatchback. The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV features standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing for full phone integration. There is also a Qi pad, which allows for wireless charging with compatible phones.
The center display screen in the 2021 Chevy Bolt EV provides a wealth of knowledge to the driver. There is a confidence gauge, which estimates the range the vehicle can travel on the charge present in its battery. The power gauge, on the other hand, shows how much power is left. Additionally, the Bolt EV has other screens that can provide ratings of how the vehicle is performing overall, including technique, terrain, outside temperature, and the climate.
Technique applies to how a driver is behaving, like having a heavy foot on the accelerator or brake, for example. Terrain, outside temperature, and climate obviously cover the road conditions and weather in general. All these features can add to or detract from the energy in the battery, like using more energy to climb hills. Seeing this information, a driver can try to find the sorts of behaviors or qualities that will give their Bolt EV the best possible performance in terms of miles to be driven per charge.
Conclusion
The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV is a practical and sporty compact car. Though it has seen some changes since its initial introduction, most of those have been small, proving that the Bolt EV is made to satisfy and always has been. Its hatchback and high roof offer plenty of space for cargo or passengers, with a sunroof offered as an additional feature just in case things get too crowded inside. The electric power source keeps the car quiet and peaceful as it rolls along, leaving the driver and passengers to enjoy the sounds of nature and the road around them. The Bolt EV is sure to please a multitude of drivers and meet a multitude of needs.
Whether you’re a suburban soccer mom needing to drop the kids off or a co-op farmer taking their wares to market, the Bolt EV has plenty of space for anything a driver of a subcompact car may need to carry. The 2021 Chevy Bolt EV can cover a large amount of ground with its strong battery. Its fully electric systems eliminate the need to worry about a regular fuel budget or dealing with long lines at gas stations. The whole vehicle, from the battery to the engine, is powered only by the rechargeable energy storage system. Anyone who wants to enjoy a smooth ride behind the wheel of an electric vehicle would do well to test drive a 2021 Chevy Bolt EV.
