2022 Chevy Bolt EUV review: More space, no drawbacks

The Bolt EUV is a greater edition of a improved edition of the Chevy Bolt EV. Irrespective of the practically-as well-identical taxonomy, the Bolt EUV makes an attempt to length by itself from its sibling by way of including some inside quantity, and the final result is swell.

If you assume the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV seems identical to the Bolt EV (minus the U), U would be right. The most evident alter between the two is duration, wherever the EUV stretches 6.two inches longer than the normal Bolt EV. This embiggening provides three.9 inches of wheelbase and, far more importantly, three.1 inches of rear legroom. The EUV is only .two inches taller and broader than the Bolt EV, although, which suggests sitting in the middle of the backseat can be a restricted affair. Headroom stays enough.

The 2nd-gen Bolt, regardless of whether EV or EUV, seems improved inside of and out. The slender operating lights make for far more futuristic fasciae, and I dig the texture on the entrance bumper’s “grille.” But the actual advancement usually takes location inside of, wherever Chevrolet eventually decided to use resources that really don’t frequently sense cheap. The dash makes use of levels, coloration and texture, although the gloss black trim all through can be really the smudge magnet. The triangle patterns in the Premier’s leather seats search awesome, and the chairs on their own are sufficiently supportive for longer stretches on the highway.

Storage is a mixed bag. The heart console’s cup holders aren’t major enough for huge h2o bottles, but the door pockets assist mitigate that. You can find a modest tray for keeping points below the USB ports, but it doubles as the wireless charging pad. I do like that you can find enough house below the heart armrest for a decently sized purse. The Bolt EUV delivers just 16.three cubic ft of cargo house, enough for a family’s groceries or a pair weekender luggage, and when it bests competition like the Hyundai Kona Electric powered and Nissan Leaf, it is really just a minimal small overall. The EPA claims the Bolt EV has far more cargo house at 16.6 cubic ft, but that’s mostly because of to how the EPA measures cargo volumes — contemplate the two functionally identical. You can find no frunk, both.

The Bolt EUV’s powertrain stays peachy. Irrespective of currently being positioned as a quasi-crossover of types, the EUV is a entrance-wheel-generate hatchback, sending 200 horsepower and 266 pound-ft of torque to the entrance axle by way of a one electrical motor. That torque worth just isn’t everything to shake a adhere at instantaneous twist suggests the EUV shoves off in a hurry, although its 215/50R17 Michelin Electricity Saver all-year tires are incredibly brief to spin below as well much throttle. 

The EPA estimates the 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV will run about 247 miles on a one charge, a quantity I would say is properly within just attain. Because driving design and style components intensely into these calculations, Chevy offers a high and small estimate for remaining array in the gauge cluster, with a marker that lets me know regardless of whether my driving is aiming for effectiveness or not. More than a pair hundred miles, I am demonstrating three.4 miles for each kilowatt-hour utilized, which translates to about 221 miles from the car’s sixty five-kWh battery pack. The Bolt EUV’s designed-in brake regeneration is great, with minimal alter in pedal sense between regen and friction, and I enjoy that I can turn on just one-foot driving permanently by using a switch on the heart console, or I can use it on-need by way of the steering wheel paddle.

Charging the Bolt EUV is a breeze, thanks in element to a 7.two-kilowatt method and a normal twin-amount twine that works with equally 120-volt Amount 1 and 240-volt Amount two setups (this cable is optional on Bolt EV). Chevy estimates about 7 hours to fill up on a Amount two charger, which tracks with my experience of hooking up to a community charger and likely from fifty% to comprehensive in excess of the program of a extensive evening meal with mates. As metropolitan areas proceed to flesh out their EV infrastructure, array panic should under no circumstances be an challenge listed here.

The Bolt EUV’s longer wheelbase makes for a far more snug journey, as well, smoothing out some of the bouncier antics I locate in the shorter Bolt EV. It truly is under no circumstances likely to be a managing hero — possibly question Chevy for an RS variant or a little something — but it is really not intended to be. The steering is light as heck, although the optional and mostly avoidable Activity mode does incorporate some body weight, so it is really very clear that the Bolt EUV is for cruising.

Speaking of cruising, the Bolt EUV carries just one optional up grade you can’t get on the Bolt EV. Tremendous Cruise is GM’s Amount two driver aid, combining adaptive cruise management and lane-holding aid to hold the car or truck in its lane at the tempo of traffic on pre-mapped stretches of freeway with out demanding hands on the wheel. A driver-monitoring digital camera will make guaranteed my eyes are pointed in the suitable route, but at the time the LEDs in the steering wheel glow inexperienced, I am Okay to relaxation my hands awkwardly in my lap. The method is a minimal far more jittery than I recall in bigger automobiles, most likely owing to the EUV’s tall sides and slim physique, but in most scenarios it makes clean inputs and does a pretty great work approximating human driving.

Every EUV gets a ten.two-inch touchscreen on the dashboard operating the Chevrolet Infotainment three Furthermore method, which is responsive, straightforward on the eyes and even a lot easier to navigate. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are bundled, alongside a wireless device charger and a pair of USB ports (just one USB-A, just one USB-C) for each row. A 2nd, 8-inch display screen usually takes the location of the gauge cluster, offering all the pertinent data I want about the auto in just one of two types.

On the basic safety entrance, all EUV trims come with automatic crisis braking, lane-holding aid, lane-departure warning and Chevy’s Teenager Driver suite, which can limit sure options when your progeny usually takes the auto for the night. The Premier beefs that up with rear parking sensors, a rearview digital camera mirror, a encompass-see digital camera method, blind-location monitoring and adaptive cruise management. LT prospective buyers can incorporate most of people options on the foundation trim for $495, which is awesome, when Tremendous Cruise is constrained to Premier trims and carries a $two,200 price tag tag.

Equally trims are aggressively priced, even before federal or neighborhood tax incentives are counted. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV’s LT trim commences at $33,995 such as vacation spot, when the Premier trim asks a respectable $38,495. You can find a $five,430 Start Edition Bundle for the Bolt EUV that provides every solution, in addition to distinctive wheels, a new badge and an illuminated charge port, as properly. My tester is far more or much less totally loaded, and it will come in at $forty three,495 before incentives.

The Chevy Bolt’s competition utilized to be couple of and considerably between, but instances have altered. If you want a little something a minimal far more down to earth (virtually), far more common hatchbacks like the Kia Niro EV and Nissan Leaf are out there, when crossover-pleasant individuals can locate level of competition from the Hyundai Kona Electric powered and Volvo XC40 Recharge, although the latter is pretty costly. Equally with and with out level of competition factored in, although, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is a stellar electrical car or truck, with a clean-cruising nature and plenty of the most current cabin tech.