In a year where the inescapable word has been "inflation', Chevrolet has done something remarkable...it has slashed the price of its Bolt EV and Bolt EUV electric cars.
And that price cut isn't just a few bucks. The base price of the Bolt EV is $5,900 less for 2023 than it was in 2022, and the Bolt EUV base price drops by $6,300.
The Bolt's electric motor makes 200 horsepower, good for 0-60 sprints of 6.8 seconds. It has 247 miles of range on a charge, with DC fast charging capability that adds 100 miles of range in 30 minutes. Yes, there are EVs that charge more quickly, but they also cost considerably more. A full recharge from 10% on a Level 2 charger (the type most commonly used for home charging) should take about seven hours.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV and Chevrolet Bolt EUV are similarly styled, and many people tell me they can't see the difference. Here's the Bolt EV:
And the Bolt EUV:
The difference is height (one inch) and length. The Bolt EUV's wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer and the entire vehicle is 6.3 inches longer (look closely at the hood and you'll see there's a bit more of it on the Bolt EUV).
That 2.9 inches of extra wheelbase is given directly to the rear seat passengers and the rear seat is placed 0.2 inches further back, resulting in 3.1 inches more rear-seat legroom compared to the Bolt EV.
The base price of the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier (the top-of-the-line model) is $32,695 (including destination). That brings with it a power eight-way driver's seat with lumbar, heated and ventilated driver and front passenger seats, heated rear outboard seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED headlamps, daytime running lamps and taillamps, heated power exterior mirrors, a rear wiper/washer, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, a rear camera mirror, rear parking assist, remote vehicle start, wireless device charging, keyless open and start and a 10.2-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
As complete as that sounds, our test vehicle has some significant extra-cost options---$2,400 for the Sun & Sound Package (an upgraded seven-speaker Bose audio system and dual-panel panoramic sunroof), $2,200 for Super Cruise, GM's Level 2 autonomous driving system, with enhanced automatic emergency braking, and $495 for the Redline Appearance Package (black interior with red stitching, black wheels with red accents, red and black badging and red outside mirror stripe).
The as-tested price of the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is $37,885.
Even loaded like this one, what we have here is a capable small EV with good range per charge for well under $40,000. Skip the sunroof, the Super Cruise and the Redline Package, and you're very close to $30,000. If you're one of those people who's been saying they'll buy an EV when you can buy one that'll go 250-ish miles and costs the same as the average car, it's here.
