2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV….Its Electric
I’ve been wracking my brain to remember when I have previously driven a Chevrolet Bolt, but I can’t find anything that recounts my experience with it. It was introduced as a 2017 model, and now the 2022’s are on the road. We spent a week with the 2022 Bolt EV, and I was impressed with this electric vehicle.
I had heard nothing bad about the Bolt, so I was not surprised when I finished the week with this electric car that Chevrolet has long touted as the longest-range electric vehicle on the road. When it was first delivered to me the dash readout said it had over 200 miles of range, far above the info that had been provided on any other electric vehicle I had driven to date – and I must say, I have probably been in every other electric and hybrid model since they were first introduced. Years ago, I was the owner of one of the first plug-in hybrids in Texas– a Ford C-Max. My electric range in it ranged from 18-22 miles back then. In really cold or really hot weather the range decreased significantly. The situation was somewhat similar with this new 2022 Bolt.
Not that it was ever as low as those initial plug-ins back in 2012, but I did note that when temperatures surged to over 100 degrees my range decreased from over 200 miles to 168 miles – still a fantastic improvement over those initial days of plug in vehicles. Of course, I admit we had the AC cranked on full blast.
Easy To Charge
Overall, I was very pleased with everything about the Bolt. It was comfortable, had great torque and acceleration, was very easy to plug in and came equipped with a long enough charging cord to reach far into the garage to make the rejuvenation of the Bolt easy. I found that charging was always at 100 percent in the morning after plugging it in the evening before. In monitoring our electricity usage, I saw no major increase in my electric consumption during my week with the Bolt. While areas in DFW experienced rolling blackouts due to issues with the power grid, none occurred in our area. However, we were on a “conserve energy” order which makes me question the readiness of the grid for EVS.
Also, I didn’t experience any problems whatsoever with the charging system. I mention that because I had one other brand of plug in vehicle last year that I did have problems with and I also had a very bad experience years ago when a vehicles charge cord was not long enough and I used an extension cord. I must very emphatically say “DON’T EVER use an extension cord when charging a plug in electric vehicle. The results are not pretty!
Level 2 Charger Makes Charging Easier
Even though I had the time and opportunity to charge this Bolt overnight, I recognize that many others my not be in the same situation. Chevrolet recognizes this and is offering to cover standard installation of a Level 2 charging station for those who purchase or lease a new Bolt. This will allow people to have faster charging when at home.
The MSRP on my 2022 Chevrolet Bolt was only slightly over $31,000 – a decrease of about $5,000 from the 2021 model. And buyers need to keep in mind, there very well might be state and federal tax benefits that come with this new Bolt. Those who are concerned about the environment and decreasing the use of fossil fuels and are evaluating electric vehicles need to test drive a new Chevrolet Bolt – I was impressed and had it been available back when I got my C-Max, the Bolt would have definitely been my vehicle of choice!
