The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV might just be the new champion in the electric car category. This newly released vehicle punched Tesla's status as the leader of the electric vehicle market.
Things are looking pretty good at Chevrolet as they have solved two unrelenting issues with electric cars: cost and range. Brian Cooley at Roadshow noted that the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV will be the new car story of the year thanks to its long-range sub-$30,000 price. The plus side, it is now available in showrooms and you can simply walk in and get one, that is, of course, you have to pay for it first.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV first drive! https://t.co/K3uXr2B5Pj #ChevyBolt pic.twitter.com/74qrVHGFgT
— CarBuyingStrategies (@CarBuyingGuides) February 6, 2017
Data from Autoweek notes that the Bolt is able to go farther on a complete charge compared with any other plug-in in the market. Take that Tesla. Yes, there is another smaller vehicle and a much cheaper one that is capable of the same work, including of course Chevy's Sonic.
Brian Cooley took the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV for a spin and gave us the lowdown on the big package a small vehicle can bring to the table. Let's begin with the Bolt's competitive set which includes leaders like the highly anticipated Model 3 from Tesla, Nissan Leaf, Ford's upcoming EV that could unveil late this year, and of course the Volt, the sibling of the Bolt EV.
Chevrolet labels the Bolt EV as a small wagon or a crossover. Even Cooley was surprised at this. Chevy's rationale is that there is significant cargo space for passengers and their items in the back, the vehicle has a high ride height complete with high visibility, and the overall practicality of the car.
General Motor's Korean studio took care of the car's design, while the Michigan one handled all the bits and pieces such as the powertrain and running gear. Of course, LG Electronics pitched in, supplying the batteries of the electric vehicle.
The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV only weighs around 3580 pounds. The front wheels are driven by an electric motor that produces 200 horses and 266 lb-ft of torque. Imagine a 0 to 60 mph in only 7 seconds.
What Brian Cooley noticed when he took the Bolt EV out is that there is no motor or gear whining with a linear underfoot. This practically debunked his theory that all electric cars drive more like each other compared with combustion engine vehicles.
Standard charging for the vehicle is 9 hours, which is about 50 miles for every 2 hours. But an additional fast charging feature allows the Bolt to charge for only 90 miles in 30 minutes. Thus, the Bolt will be fully charged in just 2 and ½ hours.
Overall, the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV is simply worth it, given a base price of under $30,000 and with a 238-mile range. And by the way, it borrowed the Cadillac CT6's rear camera rear view mirrors. And the vehicle is packed with 2 USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Wi-Fi via LTE connection.
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