The Chevrolet Bolt is priced from $38,198 in Canada, $31,000 in the US.
The new Chevrolet Bolt EV is currently the least expensive EV in Canada.
The Bolt’s easygoing nature makes it an easy EV to transition to.

In my line of work, I get to speak to many people, well, not quite so much in the last 18 months… Even so, I’ve had countless socially distanced chats with neighbors about cars and EVs, especially when there’s one parked in my driveway. My recent week with the new 2022 Chevrolet Bolt did “spark” a number of questions and comments.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV | Photo: Olivier Delorme

The Bolt advantages

That same week, GM announced that they’d be recalling upwards of 70,000 2017-19 Bolt EVs due to faulty batteries. A few car-savvy fellow citizens brought the recall as we talked about the Bolt but ultimately, they were curious about the car. My answer to their query was and is that the Bolt is one of the easiest EVs to transition into. At least, now that the Volkswagen eGolf is no longer available.

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV has another massive advantage and that’s pricing. As the new Bolt is based on the 1^st generation car, GM began amortizing the expenses accrued in developing the original Bolt roughly four years ago. At $38,198, the 2022 Bolt is considerably less expensive than the 2021 model year car. To be more precise, the 22 Bolt is nearly $7,000 cheaper than the 21 Bolt and just over $6,000 cheaper than the 2021 Nissan Leaf. And these amounts are ahead of all applicable available provincial and federal incentives.

Comfortable updates and properly equipped

Since it was introduced in 2017, Chevy’s sold more than 100,000 Bolt EVs. Of these new owners, 57% are new to Chevrolet so it’s an impressive conquest vehicle. The fact that the 2022 is fuss-less also helps tremendously. Getting aboard the Bolt is easy as pie thanks to the large door cutouts. The cabin is airy, inviting, and does without visual fluff. Even so, the standard 10.2-inch touchscreen display, with a trio of hard buttons, and the HVAC controls looks quite premium. Chevy’s Infotainment 3 system is user-friendly and straightforward and includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

Four adults will find generous servings of room and Chevy’s thought about storage throughout. The new seats are cushy and best of all, visibility is exceptional. The front quarter windows that bisect the “A” pillars give the impression that the driver can see where the front wheels are. Finally, the trunk is capacious at a very usable and configurable 470 litres.

Visually, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV is the recipient of new fascias. The changes made to the front are the most drastic and departure from the more conventional-looking 2017-2021 Bolt. Even so, the Bolt’s revamp is modern and attractive.

Serene driver

Driving the 2022 Bolt is a, once more, fuss-free experience. Start it up, pull in on “D” and off one goes. There are no drive modes per se other than the brilliant one-pedal drive mode. It’s as simple as city driving with “one-pedal” on and once merging onto the highway, deactivating the function. As well, in light traffic, the Bolt still features regen braking on-demand via the steering wheel-mounted paddle.

And driving is something that will be done worry-free. The included 65 kWh battery (not the same unit as involved in the current recall) is rated to deliver up to 417 km of range. Depending on driving habits, achieving a greater number is very possible. An indicated 430 km range was a common occurrence during the Bolt’s tenure as my daily driver. Charging times are well within current norms where, on a DC fast charger, the Bolt gains about 160 km of range per 30 minutes of charge.

The 2022 Bolt continues to be driven by a permanent magnet front-mounted electric motor that produces 200 horsepower and the equivalent of 266 lb.-ft. of torque. This amount of power is enough to easily break the front tires loose under mild-ish throttle. In a streetlight race, you’re unlikely to lose against an average car as the Bolt will cover the 0-96 km/h sprint in only 6.5 seconds.

Another wonderful aspect of the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV is how comfortable a cruiser it is. The 17-inch tires’ ample sidewalls and the car’s smartly-tuned chassis provide plenty of dampening, helping keep all occupants happy in cocooned refinement. As with all EVs, the Bolt is quiet which perfectly matches the Bolt’s on-road behaviour.

The Bolt is a very important step

General Motors is on its way to introducing 30 new EVs by 2025 and despite being at the bottom of the automaker’s EV totem pole, the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV are the most accessible. The Bolt EUV will undoubtedly find favour with more buyers thanks to its few extra inches over the Bolt EV, about half of which are added to rear legroom. Either way, both will fulfill all requirements with one exception: a dual-motor AWD configuration is not available.

Against the likes of the Nissan Leaf and 2021 Hyundai Ioniq EV, the Bolt’s a great choice. Among electric cars, options will remain limited, because SUVs. Case in point: The Bolt EUV has far more competition in the Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Soul EV and Niro EV, Volkswagen ID.4, upcoming Nissan Ariya, and a few others.

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV is an EV for first-time EV buyers.