2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Hatchback

　　

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is a small crossover SUV based on the even smaller Bolt EV hatchback, and the EUV's primary benefit is more rear legroom thanks to a longer wheelbase and 6 inches of added length. Cargo space is about the same as the Bolt EV, measuring 16.3 cubic feet behind the back seat and 56.9 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Chevrolet Bolt EUV EV Insights

Trim:Bolt EUV LT

　　LT 4dr Hatchback (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $27,800 MSRPPremier 4dr Hatchback (electric DD) - $32,300 MSRP

　　

Range

 zzdcar TESTED

　　265 miles

　　zzdcar Tested Rangezzdcar begins with a full battery charge and drives the vehicle on a mix of city and highway roads (approximately 60% city, 40% highway) until the battery is almost entirely empty. (We target 10 miles of remaining range for safety.) The miles traveled and the indicated remaining range are added together for the zzdcar Tested Range figure.

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 225 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　7.5 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$7,900

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Federal Credit

　　$7,500

　　Restrictions: Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers taxpayers a Clean Vehicle Tax Credit of $3,750 or $7,500 depending on model eligibility for the purchase of a new plug-in electric vehicle. Beginning January 1, 2024, Clean Vehicle Tax Credits may be initiated and approved at the point of sale at participating dealerships registered with the IRS. Dealers will be responsible for submitting Clean Vehicle Tax Credit information to the IRS. Buyers are advised to obtain a copy of an IRS "time of sale" report, confirming it was submitted successfully by the dealer. To be eligible: A vehicle must have undergone final assembly in North America (the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, or Mexico). Critical mineral and battery component requirements determine credit amount. Maximum MSRP of $55,000 for cars and $80,000 for SUVs/trucks/vans. Income eligibility applies depending on modified adjusted gross income (AGI) and tax filing status.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Home Installation or Public Charging

　　Restrictions: This program gives customers who purchase or lease a new 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV the option of choosing one of the following offers: 1) a Standard Installation, 2) an Installation Credit, or 3) EVgo Credit. For customers who do not meet the Standard Installation requirements or choose the Installation Credit offer, GM will provide up to a $250 credit towards permitting and up to a $1,000 credit towards an installation completed by a Qmerit installer. The EVgo credit provides $500 for use with EVgo public charging stations. Your choice must be made within 30 days of your Vehicle Delivery Date. Installations must be completed within 180 days of your Eligible Vehicle Delivery Date. For complimentary public charging, the authorization code must be redeemed at EVgo.com within 60 days of eligible vehicle delivery date. EVgo credits must be used within 3 years from the date the authorization code was redeemed. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$62/mo

　　Bolt EUV

　　vs

　　$162/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　Driving range on a full battery is an EPA-estimated 247 miles, a little less than the smaller and lighter Bolt EV (259 miles). In our own zzdcar real-world range test, the EUV was able to travel 265 miles on a single charge. It's a decent amount of range, though some rivals such as the Kona Electric and Volkswagen ID.4 are capable of going even farther.

　　This year, Chevrolet adds a new Redline Edition package that gives the Bolt EUV a sportier appearance. Highlights include black 17-inch aluminum wheels, red accents on the wheels and side mirror caps, and black and red badges. With the Premier trim level, the Bolt EUV Redline Edition has black leather seats with red contrast stitching. The Redline Edition is available with black, white, or silver paint.

　　Otherwise, the only change is that the government's Inflation Reduction Act once again makes electric vehicles made by General Motors eligible for a federal income tax credit. GM previously lost the credit because it had reached the sales cap of 200,000 EV sales, but the IRA removes that cap and reinstates the credit to GM on January 1, 2023. However, restrictions apply to both vehicles and buyers, so be sure to check specific availability on or after that date.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　8.0

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the Bolt EUV drive? We took the Bolt EUV to our test track and recorded a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. This is a bit slower than the standard Bolt but respectably quick for an EV in this price range. It's easy to zip around town or get up to freeway speeds. Braking is smooth, and there's a one-pedal drive mode to take care of most of your daily slowing with regenerative braking. There's even an additional steering-wheel regen braking paddle if you want to maximize energy recuperation.

　　The Bolt EUV doesn't feel quite as nimble as some of the smaller EVs or as playful as the larger Ford Mustang Mach-E or Kia EV6. We suspect its front-wheel-drive layout puts a bit more demand on the front tires. But ultimately we don't think most people will notice or care, especially given how easy and low-effort the EUV is to drive on a daily basis. We'll take "easy" over "exciting" most days of the week.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Bolt EUV? The front seats have adequate cushioning, though we think they could use a little more thigh support. The EUV's ride quality is an improvement over that of the Bolt, which sometimes struggles to absorb pavement cracks and sharp-edged potholes. While we wouldn't call the EUV's ride cushy, it is adequately comfortable, and the cabin is pretty well insulated against noise.

　　The climate controls are straightforward to use and have redundant functions on the touchscreen and below the screen with physical buttons. The single-zone system reacts quickly, but it unfortunately lacks air vents for the rear passengers.

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