After driving about 13,500 km in the Chevy Bolt from Victoria to Quidi Vidi to Wawa and beyond, on our coast to coast to coast cross country road trip, we thought we would write a report card for those interested in performance.
The Chevy Bolt
The drive: Very responsive and has the power when needed. The car handles well.
Regen: Amazing difference regen makes for driving.
Brakes: Hardly use brakes as lifting foot off accelerator brings car to halt under normal conditions. One pedal driving allows you to recapture Regen power to feed battery.
Gauges: The gauges are accurate and easy to read.
Seats and space: We have been on the road for 5 weeks of driving with a 36kg dog and a car full of stuff. The seats have proved to be very comfortable on old butts and the leg room you can stretch legs. Lots of room for suitcases and coolers and dog beds.
Interior: Is easy to clean and keep dog hair free.
Battery range: This car allows you to take to the road with range confidence instead of range anxiety. With reasonable driving it is easy to train the battery to extend the range beyond 383 km. The highest we have gotten so far is 475km in the prairies. How much range you get depends on weather conditions, terrain and driving techniques.
Affordability: The Bolt is a reasonably priced car which becomes extremely affordable when you start factoring in maintenance costs for gas powered vehicles. Provinces like BC, Ontario and Quebec offer financial incentives to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles.
Supply: IT SUCKS! We were one of the lucky ones to get the Bolt. A hint squeaky wheels do get action. From coast to coast we heard from many, many consumers that they want electric vehicles but it is almost impossible to get them (this applies to all makes and brands). Manufacturers, you need to resolve supply issues! If you are waiting for a Bolt, hang on, it is very much worth the wait.
If we were designers we would include: autonomous navigation system on board, less reflective dash board, rain drip gutters above windows, and a more detailed energy management system on board.
The Chevy Bolt makes driving fun again. It is the electric vehicle that can break through the barriers of lack of EV charging infrastructure to prove driving electric across Canada is possible. Driving electric in Wawa Ontario or Saint- Pacale Quebec or Windwood Saskatchewan or Gibsons British Columbia is possible.
