Chevrolet Bolt:
Its quick on its feet, its peppy to drive, its nimble and it’s the Green Car of the year, all of that and still the Chevy Bolt stands humble and strong. This is one car that has given even Tesla a run for its money. General Motors, a 108-year-old monolithic automaker now sells a battery-electric hatchback that delivers more than 200 miles of driving range and can be had for less than the price of the average car.
The arrival of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the electric car reaches a major milestone, one that also secures its future and makes a move towards mass appeal. The Bolt has enough range to cover a day’s task plus the unexpected. Electric cars appear to have laid down permanent roots in the automotive landscape with the first long-range with an affordable EV from an established mainstream automaker.
It’s here, its yours:
The bolt is priced at an introductory $37,495 in LT trim and comes with a $ 7500 federal tax credit that will pull the price way under $30,000. Go from work hours to after hours without compromise with its EPS-estimated mileage of 238 miles once fully charged up.
Variants:
Born with 2 different trims, the Bolt comes with an LT and a Premier trim and this makes it quite the choice of enthusiasts. The ET comes with features such as Electronic precision shift, Michelin self-sealing tires, a 10.2 inch diagonal color touch-screen along with a Rear-vision camera. The Premier model on the other hand comes with all the LT features along with a Rear camera mirror, Surround vision along with Leather-wrapped heated steering wheel.
Braking in your hands:
A simple pull of the paddle that is located on the steering wheel of the car is able to slow down the car without having to use the brake pedal. This is definitely a cool feature and comes in handy.
Power starts with the battery:
A nickel-rich lithium-ion battery technology makes it possible for the Bolt EV to last longer than any other battery. The technology involved here is pretty interesting. The battery chemistry enhances heat resistance that allows the battery to tolerate heat before using power to cool it down. It has an active thermal management system that helps manage the battery temperature in extremely hot and cold weather conditions. The battery pack has an energy capacity of 60 kWh that offers an EPA estimated at 238 miles of range on full charge. The Bolt EV offers the driver 100,000 miles or 8-year warranty whichever comes first and so, you’ve got to be rest assured that you will get to where you need to go.
Charging is as easy as charging your phone:
Charging the Bolt EV is as easy as it gets. Simply plug it in at night and by the morning, its charged up and ready for you. The Bolt has 240-volt charging unit and the fastest way to recharge it is at home that offers more power than the standard 120-volt outlet.
Location based Charging:
The car can be programmed to charge whether you’re home or away. It uses the GPS signal and this helps the Bolt know when the driver is home and will activate according to the present time. If the driver is somewhere else, the EV will know to charge immediately and the charging can also be delayed until utility rates are at their lowest off-peak prices.
HYUNDAI TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC CAR IN THE U.S:
In other news, the Korean automaker the Ioniq, all-electric car will be available in the U.S by the end of 2016. The plug-in hybrid car will be the last to arrive sometime by the 3rd quarter of 2017. Hyundai claims that the Ioniq will return an estimated 124 miles or 200 kilometers range. The company is expecting the standard hybrid variant to be its best seller of the 3 and is estimating that the high efficiency Blue model will return 58 mpg combined. However, contrary to popular belief, it is said that the range of 124 miles is pretty good but, is it really good enough to capture a huge market share considering all factors is a big challenge and this will come into reality only in 2017.
Bottom Line:
èChevrolet Bolt EV has most certainly proven its worth in the international market and it is without any question the classier Green car of the year.
èIts good to know that Hyundai is upping its game and trying to penetrate into the electric car segment. Let’s hope they succeed with all that they claim.