Car Buyer Labs

Car Buying Advice, Tips, and Reviews

A light blue 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is shown form the rear on a beach at sunset.

2022 Chevy Bolt EV: A Fresh Look for a New Year

The Chevy Bolt is one of the company’s flagships in the electric vehicle market, and it is being redesigned for 2022. This redesigned electric hatchback has a futuristic look, a fully refinished cabin, and a lower price. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is more than ready to usher buyers into the electric vehicle realm. This remodel has split the model into two distinct designs, the Chevy Bolt EV and the Chevy Bolt EUV. The EUV is a compact five-passenger crossover vehicle with five doors, new to the market. The EV is a hatchback, not new but freshly remodeled for 2022. This remodel seems like a small one until the details of its new look are all laid out.

This new look includes a redesigned interior, cheaper pricing, and an upgraded battery, as well as a better charge cord. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is well made and designed with a better eye toward comfort than its previous iteration. The price has been cut down considerably and, though there is little change in power levels overall, the vehicle’s charge time has dropped by several hours. The trim levels have also been restructured, but few actual changes have happened there other than the names of each trim changing slightly. Though it may seem, at a glance, as if there were not many changes, the ones that got made with the release of the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV are still considerable.

Price Dropped, Usability Increased

The 2022 Chevy Bolt EV has a starting MSRP of $31,995, adding up to a $4,500 price drop when compared to the 2021 model, which opened at $36,500. Though the battery remains the same between the two models, charging has been made easier thanks to the available Dual Level Charge Cord. This cord allows you to choose between Level 1 (120 volts) and Level 2 (240 volts) charging without having to wrestle with multiple cords, making it easier to charge up wherever you are. You can also get DC Fast Charging capability, which will allow you to charge up to 100 miles of range in just 30 minutes at a DC Fast Charge station, which you can easily find with the help of Chevy’s Energy Assist.

The new exterior is worth noting, with the Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV both designed with different paneling. The new look on the EV is more serious looking and better aligned with what people may expect to see from an electric vehicle. The 2021 had a large front grille, a black bar acting as a bridge between the headlights with the gold Chevy branding sitting right in the center. The 2022 has a much more streamlined look, with no front grille. Instead, the front of the vehicle contains a lower placed and smaller front grille that is a near match to the exterior color. Also, the brand’s badging is black rather than gold.

Another big change to the exterior is the headlights. The LED daytime running lights double as sequential turn signals. The whole look, rather than being full-size headlights, is replaced with narrow lights that are simple, clear, and sleek. These lights wrap neatly around the sides of the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV, which lends to the whole streamlined appearance of the new exterior. The first generation had HID Xenon bulbs, a much bulkier look overall.

A light blue 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is shown from the side on a city street.

Interior Upgrades: The Big Changes

Most of the changes made in the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV happened on the inside, making the second generation distinctly different from the first. The first generation was reported to have cheaper materials and limited space overall. The latest model improved nearly every aspect, from material to functionality to infotainment. The addition of more soft-touch fabrics gives the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV a more upscale feel than its predecessor. Two color options are available for the interior: two-tone grey or all black.

The infotainment system has been completely redone, with a fully integrated in-dashboard unit replacing the previous floating touchscreen. Everything has been simplified and streamlined. There are only two buttons and three dials on the left of the screen, with the controls mounted intuitively near the driver’s right hand. This makes it easy to operate everything, even without looking over.

The traditional stick shift has also been removed, replaced with easy button pushed gear switching. This gives the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV a decidedly futuristic feel and more intuitive shifting with the buttons on hand. Shifting between gears is as simple as pushing a button down or flipping a switch up. One Pedal Driving is also offered, enabling drivers to control the vehicle’s speed solely through the use of the gas pedal rather than having to apply the brake.

In a word, the new interior of the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is not only modern or sleek but attractive. The seats are more comfortable, and the steering wheel has a flat bottom, providing more space and comfort for drivers as well as a sporty look. The captain-style seats up front are reported to be more comfortable than the first generation offered. An upgrade to the higher trim level offers leather upholstery and an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat. The first generation’s paddle shifters have been adjusted in placement and replaced with push buttons, making the car’s everyday operation far more intuitive than it used to be.

All of these upgrades came in response to criticisms of the first generation. The paddle shifters originally on the steering wheel were awkwardly placed. This problem was fixed through better integration, switching paddles for buttons. The infotainment system was difficult to access or operate without a glance over, taking the driver’s eyes off the road. Now, there are only a small number of keys to worry about, and they are placed right near the driver’s right hand. The seats were uncomfortable, and the interior reported to feel cheap. Now, the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV has all-new soft-touch fabrics, deep captain-style seating, and a luxurious feel. This vehicle is unquestionably the answer to many problems and a massive improvement over its predecessor, especially when sitting behind the wheel.

The steering wheel and digital gauge is shown on a 2022 Chevy Bolt EV.

Chevy Bolt EV: New for 2022

The 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is a fantastic vehicle designed with the customer in mind. The lower price and more intuitive ease of use are sure to make wary drivers more comfortable with the idea of making such a big change in buying an electric vehicle. With convenient charging capabilities, owners of the Chevy Bolt EV will have more time on their hands to take to the open road. Such a modern interior is sure to put any driver at ease, whether during the daily commute or a long road trip.

While the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV may not be the most powerful vehicle on the road, it is a head-turner from the outside as well as the inside. It doesn’t stick out or look like an obvious electric vehicle but stands out when compared with other vehicles on the road. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EV is a sleek, peppy hatchback that is guaranteed to draw more people into the electric vehicle lifestyle. With the future of the automotive industry looking more electric focused by the year, now is a great time to switch to an electric vehicle at a great price.