LIKES
- Larger, roomier Bolt EUV
- Lower starting price
- Available Super Cruise
- Refreshed interior with better seats
- Good standard safety features
DISLIKES
- No all-wheel drive
- Why two similar EVs…
- ...that sound the same…
- ...act the same…
- ...seem the same?
BUYING TIP
The larger 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV seems destined to replace the Bolt EV; both work well as commuter EVs but newer arrivals eclipse their battery range.
What kind of vehicle is the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV? What does it compare to?
The refreshed 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV is an electric hatchback joined this year by a larger version called the Bolt EUV. The Bolts compete against the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y crossovers, as well as the Nissan Leaf hatchback and Tesla Model 3 sedan.
Is the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV a good car?
Safety scores aren’t in, but the squirty, high-efficiency Bolt boosts its score here to a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10.
What's new for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt?
A new body, refreshed interior, and upgraded tech round out the 2022 Bolt EV, but the biggest news about the Bolt family is the addition of a bigger model, the 2022 Bolt EUV.
Tall and narrow, the 2022 Bolt EV and EUV sport a more vertical face with LED headlights. Slim daytime running lights point to a bowtie that sits over a diamond-patterned imperial mustache. The Bolt EUV has the same DRLs, like penciled-in bedazzled eyebrows, but the front lip wears a more significant walrus mustache.
In the cockpit, the Bolts are mostly interchangeable. The 10.2-inch touchscreen carries over, but the surrounding dash streamlines the two-tone layers of the old Bolt EV. The center stack no longer juts out like a pouty lower lip, and is instead flush against the dash. The climate controls run in a neat horizontal line, and a new push-button gear selector opens up space in the narrow center console for a wireless charger that bridges the stack and console. Along with a flat-bottomed steering wheel, it’s roomier for knees.
The seats can be heated and cooled, and the rear outboard seat can be heated as well. Cargo volume remains about the same at 16.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat (16.3 cubes in the EUV), and 57 cubic feet with the 60/40-split rear seats down.
Output remains the same from 2021 with its 65-kwh battery pack powering a motor system at the front wheels, rated at 200 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. GM expects the 259-mile range to carry over for the 2022 Bolt EV, and the larger EUV has an estimated 247-mile range. At 3,679 lb, the EUV is only 90 lb heavier than the Bolt EV, which is pretty light for an electric vehicle. Performance remains much the same with the Bolt EV and EUV: quick at the stoplights, best below 75 mph, and absorbent enough to rise above commuter-car rivals.
A new 11-kw onboard charger boosts charging times of about seven hours, but to get the peak rate it has to be connected to a 48-amp wallbox with a 60-amp circuit. With DC fast charging, the Bolt EV and EUV charge 100 miles in 30 minutes.
Unlike its other crossover SUVs, Chevy equips the Bolt with good standard safety features including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and active lane control. Available driver-assist technology include adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, blind-spot monitors, and Super Cruise hands-free driving system. The system can effectively drive itself for long stretches of time by monitoring both the driver and the road covering 200,000 miles of mapped divided highways.
How much does the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV cost?
Where is the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV made?
Just outside of Detroit, Michigan.
Styling
The Bolt wraps a conventional hatchback body around a spare interior.
Is the Chevrolet Bolt EV a good-looking car?
It’s space-efficient and laid out to maximize ease of use, for sure. The Bolt’s hatchback shape wears better on the slightly longer EUV than on the EV—it’s short and tall, both of which are mitigated by the EUV body. It’s a 6 here, with a poin
The two vehicles share batteries and other architectural bits, but there’s no common sheet metal—which sounds extravagant, given the Bolt’s mission to electrify GM’s bottom line. The Bolt EUV sits some 6.3 inches longer than the EV, and has a wheelbase that’s 2.9 inches longer. It’s difficult to see the difference unless the two are parked with each other: the EUV’s roof rails extend a bit longer, though both share a floating-roof design and LED taillights that bridge the rear end, along with the bowtie badge. The best way to tell them apart individually is by the EUV’s deeper front end appearance.
Performance
The Bolt EV and EUV drive like heavy compact cars.
We give the Bolts a score of 7 for performance—a point for the battery-only drivetrain and another for quick-footed acceleration. It leaves handling and ride points on the table, but there’s good news there, yet.
Is the Chevrolet Bolt EV 4WD?
No, the Bolt is front-drive only.
It’s quick to peel off from a stoplight, thanks to its electric drivetrain. With a single electric motor up front, it churns out 200 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, which twists in near silence to those front wheels as it scurries from 0-60 mph in less than seven seconds.
The Bolt EV and EUV operate in a “normal” drive mode that permits coasting and creeping to mimic a gas-powered car. Tap a switch on the console and the regenerative braking boost enables a one-pedal drive mode that slows it almost to a stop from a brisk pace.
The efficient powertrain can travel at a rate of more than 3.0 miles/kwh. On long-distance drives it can eke out range figures close to those posted by the EPA, as evidenced by our recent drive in 90-degree southern heat, with climate controls and seat coolers on nearly the whole time.
Comfort & Quality
The tall Bolt EV and EUV hatchbacks call out for better seat padding.
We give the Bolts a 6 for comfort and utility. There’s ample cargo space behind the fold-down rear seats, but the seats themselves lack the bolsters and padding that yield the best comfort.
Tall and narrow, with high-mounted seats that have power adjustment on some models, the Bolt’s chairs feel like hard barstools five minutes before last call. Thin seat padding and an upright driving position pair with short seat bottoms to feel economical in a way that doesn’t match the Bolt’s advanced powertrain and price.
Four adults can fit inside, and they have excellent head and leg room—especially in the Bolt EUV. Entry and exit, and outward vision, are excellent. A third person can squeeze in the back seat for short trips, but they’ll bring a range and comfort penalty with them.
As much as the battery and motors elevate the Bolt’s compact-car game, the details don’t rise above. There’s more padded surfaces in premium trims, but a drab plastic dash and doors that ring hollow speak to the Bolt’s position in Chevy’s lineup.
Safety
The Bolt EV hasn’t been crash-tested.
How safe is the Bolt EV?
Past versions of the Bolt have performed somewhat above average in testing by the IIHS and the NHTSA, but neither agency has updated ratings based on the Bolt EV’s redesign.
The Bolt now has standard automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, and active lane control. Rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitors come in an option package, as does a rear camera mirror.
Features
Chevy scores with good Bolt connectivity and technology, but there’s no more federal tax credit.
We give the Bolt EV and EUV an 8 for features, thanks to excellent infotainment and standard equipment, and for the availability of Super Cruise. It misses out on points for warranty coverage—its 3-year/36,000-mile plan is average—and for value, though this year’s $5,500 price cut brings it down to $32,495 in base LT spec. The Bolt EUV costs another $2,000. Neither Bolt qualifies for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.
Which Bolt EV should I buy?
Both Bolts come with power features and a 10.2-inch touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay/Amazon Alexa compatibility, as well as an 11.5-kw onboard charger. Wireless smartphone charging can be fitted. We’d stick with the base versions.
The loaded Bolt EV Premier model can cost $37,455 with extra-cost paint, Bose audio, and adaptive cruise control. It adds a rear camera mirror, a surround-view camera system, blind-spot monitors, heated front and rear seats, leather upholstery, and rear parking sensors. The Bolt EUV tops out at more than $43,690 when fitted with a panoramic roof and Super Cruise.
Fuel Economy
The Bolt EV and EUV tap the grid for a perfect score here.
Is the Chevy Bolt EV good on fuel?
With the larger 66-kwh battery pack introduced in 2020, the Bolts now earn EPA ratings of up to 259 miles on a full charge, or 120 MPGe. That’s the Bolt EV; the Bolt EUV’s range checks in at 247 miles, and 115 MPGe.
Either way, it’s a 10 here. But the Bolt’s smaller, non-upgradeable battery puts it behind range leaders like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
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