The Chevy Bolt has defied convention since its introduction in 2016. At a time when electric vehicles were expensive alternatives to gas-powered vehicles, Chevrolet made the Bolt accessible with its more affordable price tag. Today, the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV continues that legacy with Chevrolet reducing its price by nearly $6,000, making it the most affordable electric vehicle in America with a starting price of $26,595.
The Bolt EV’s budget-friendly price makes it appealing to more drivers, but its allure doesn’t end there. As an electric vehicle, the Bolt isn’t as intimidating as others to own and drive. Chevrolet guarantees as much by streamlining its design and simplifying the charging process without compromising its capability or your experience in the driver’s seat. Here’s a closer look at what driving an EV like the 2023 Bolt is like, specifically its driving range, your experience behind the wheel, and what happens when it’s time to recharge.
The Bolt’s Electric Power Source
As an electric vehicle, you won’t find an internal combustion engine under the Bolt EV’s hood. Instead, the all-electric Bolt is powered by a single motor with a permanent magnetic drive motor and a 65-kWh lithium-ion battery. The combination produces 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of instant torque, making the Bolt EV incredibly responsive when accelerating off the line. Its higher horsepower output also guarantees its road manners are top-notch in town and at highway speeds.
Making the Most of Every Drive
The 2023 Bolt EV offers an estimated driving range of 259 miles, making it ideal for many urban professionals. Moreover, Chevrolet equips the Bolt EV with several tools that help you maximize its driving range. These tools include Regen on Demand and One Pedal Driving. These can add miles to the Bolt EV’s range so that you spend less time recharging and can enjoy more time behind the wheel.
Regen on Demand
To give your Bolt EV a little bit of range back, you can engage the Regen on Demand paddle on the back of the steering wheel. By pulling and holding the paddle, the Bolt EV will convert the kinetic energy if your forward momentum into energy the battery can use, adding to the Bolt EV’s driving range. This has the effect of slowing the vehicle, similar to your regular brakes but in a way that recharges the battery as well. You can still use the Bolt EV’s traditional brakes, both at the same time, or disengage Regen on Demand by releasing the paddle to continue normal driving.
One Pedal Driving
Although it’s often used with Regen on Demand, One Pedal Driving can be utilized as a standalone tool on the 2023 Bolt EV. Think of One Pedal Driving as coasting in an electric vehicle. To coast in a gas-powered car, you remove your foot from the accelerator and let the car’s momentum move it forward, gradually decreasing speed and improving fuel economy since you’re not asking the engine for any power. When you coast with One Pedal Driving, the Bolt EV’s electric motor captures energy to recharge the battery by combining the functions of the accelerator and brake pedals, letting you increase or decrease the Bolt EV’s speed by pressing only the accelerator pedal.
While it sounds confusing, the tool is straightforward and actively conserves energy, ultimately increasing the Bolt EV’s range. For example, pressing down on the accelerator increases the Bolt EV’s speed. By lifting your foot off the pedal part of the way, you’re telling the system to slow down gradually. However, when you completely take your foot off the pedal, the system will quickly reduce the Bolt EV’s speed. Of course, you can also use the Bolt EV’s traditional brakes as needed when the tool is engaged.
Recharging Simplified
One of the biggest questions surrounding electric vehicles is the practicality of recharging. Fuel stations are scattered throughout the country, making it convenient to stop for gas or diesel whenever the fuel indicator moves toward “E” or empty. However, electric vehicles are still relatively new, leading many to assume that charging stations aren’t as readily available, or that recharging is impractical and inconvenient at home and on the road. Fortunately, the 2023 Bolt EV and Chevrolet prove otherwise.
Home Charging
Chevrolet eliminates the guesswork of adopting an all-electric lifestyle by including the complimentary installation of a standard home charging station with every purchase of a new Bolt EV. The offer has many advantages, like covering all the installation and permit fees and eliminating the need to get multiple quotes to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Instead, the offer puts you in contact with Qmerit, a renowned EV charger installation company that will locate a reputable local electrician to handle every aspect of installation.
Once installed, charging is as easy as plugging in your smartphone. You can get the Bolt EV with a dual-level charging cord, which simplifies the process and makes the Bolt EV compatible with 120-volt and 240-volt outlets. On a traditional 120-volt outlet, you can add four miles to the driving range every 60 minutes. Or, with a 240-volt outlet, you can fully recharge the Bolt EV overnight or in approximately seven hours.
Public Charging
What happens when you need to recharge the Bolt EV away from home? Chevrolet makes finding a charging station along your route easy with a constantly expanding network of 40,000 charging stations throughout North America. In addition, with the Bolt EV offering standard DC Fast Charging, you can find a fast charging station and add up to 100 miles of range in as little as 30 minutes.
myChevrolet Mobile App
Chevrolet is always with you wherever you are and promises to make driving the all-electric Bolt EV a rewarding and enjoyable experience. The myChevrolet Mobile app is an integral tool to your experience behind the wheel. For example, it gives you remote access to the Bolt EV at the touch of a button, enabling you to lock and unlock the doors, honk the horn, locate the Bolt EV, and access health diagnostics. Moreover, you can also use the app to personalize the Bolt EV’s infotainment system, so your in-vehicle apps and radio favorites are readily available. The Energy Assist feature helps you plan the most efficient route and locate compatible charging stations along the way so that you never have to worry about recharging when traveling away from home.
Where Will the Bolt EV Take You?
While electric vehicles are taking the world by storm, they aren’t a revolutionary new concept. The first electric vehicle debuted in 1890, but it never fully caught on, despite the industry’s best efforts. The ingenuity needed to transform electric cars into capable workhorses and powerhouses wasn’t fully developed or readily available at the time, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Fast forward to 2023, and the industry has vastly transformed thanks to models like the Bolt EV and automakers like Chevrolet. The Bolt EV makes adopting an all-electric lifestyle appealing and practical. As a result, more drivers are readily making the leap and replacing their fuel-guzzling road warriors with these modern marvels that defy everything we ever imagined an electric vehicle could be.
