{"id":26975,"date":"2021-03-05T13:04:10","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T17:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26975"},"modified":"2021-03-05T13:08:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T17:08:19","slug":"payne-second-gen-chevy-bolt-ev-is-a-treat-pity-it-isnt-a-caddy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/payne-second-gen-chevy-bolt-ev-is-a-treat-pity-it-isnt-a-caddy","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Second-gen Chevy Bolt EV is a treat. Pity it isn’t a Caddy."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

The second generation, battery-powered Chevy Bolt EV is better than ever. I just wish it were a Caddy.<\/p>\n

The 2022 Bolt EV (as in Electric Vehicle) has acquired a stretched version \u2014 called the Bolt EUV (Electric Utility Vehicle) \u2014 and all kinds of luxury touches. Super Cruise self-driving like a Cadillac Escalade. Three inches of rear legroom like a stretched Audi A8 L model. Panoramic sunroof like an Acura RDX. Rear-view camera mirror like a Caddy. Clean, grille-less fascia like a Tesla.<\/p>\n

The old Bolt\u2019s plastic grille never quite fit. Like the Tesla Model S\u2019s original\u00a0plastic \u201cnose cone\u201d it appeared fake, cheap. The new Bolt mug is post-petrol modern. Inside, the cabin is stylish with console \u201ctrigger shifter\u201d and all-digital displays.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

At the wheel of a Bolt EUV, I nailed the throttle out of a Downriver,\u00a0Interstate 75 cloverleaf. The wee ute responded with instant torque \u2014 and minimal body roll thanks to the sub-floor battery pack. Approaching a stoplight, I lifted my right foot and Bolt eased to a stop with regenerative braking. Just like Tesla.<\/p>\n

A size smaller than the compact Tesla Model 3\/Y lineup that starts at $38,190, the subcompact Bolt EV\/EUV model line begins at $31,995 and is perfectly priced to take on the Silicon Valley electric vehicle maker.<\/p>\n

If it were a Caddy.<\/p>\n

Cadillac has announced it is going all-electric this decade, a bold move aimed directly at the Tesla juggernaut \u2014 the only American luxury brand to make a dent in the Teutonic trio of Audi, BMW\u00a0and Mercedes. Caddy has already announced the $60,000\u00a0Lyriq \u2014 an upmarket\u00a0Tesla Model S fighter due in 2023. The Bolt EUV would make a perfect, entry-level companion.<\/p>\n

If it were a Caddy.<\/p>\n

Alas, as a Chevy the subcompact Bolt EV\u2019s $31,000-plus price tag will seem exorbitant when it arrives on showrooms this summer next to the brand\u2019s attractive lineup of gas-powered utes. The similarly sized\u00a0subcompact Chevy Trailblazer, for example, starts at $19,995. The Bolt EUV? $33,995. Oh.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cThere is no better demonstration to GM\u2019s commitment to electrification than the offering of a Chevy product,\u201d said Chevy marketing chief Tony Johnson. GM says all its brands will be electric-only by 2035.<\/p>\n

But a serious commitment to convert the masses to battery power would mean offering a $20,000\u00a0Bolt EUV to match Trailblazer. Pack a $32,705 Trailblazer to the gunwales \u2014 panoramic sunroof, leatherette seats, all-the-safety-stuff \u2014 and it is still cheaper than a\u00a0base<\/em>\u00a0Bolt EUV. My loaded Bolt EUV tester rang the cash register at about $43,000.<\/p>\n

Sure, the Bolt EUV offers that whiz-bang\u00a0$2,200 Super Cruise feature, but I wager most Michiganians would trade that for the Trailblazer\u2019s $2,000 all-wheel-drive option. The Bolt EUV doesn\u2019t offer AWD \u2014 a deal breaker for many snowbound SUV customers like Mrs. Payne.<\/p>\n

Winter is also unkind to EV range. In 30-degree Detroit temps, my tester got just 65% of predicted battery range in mostly 75-mph highway driving. The Chevy Trailblazer boasts 400 miles of range with gas-charging infrastructure everywhere.<\/p>\n

Range anxiety is a serious problem for EVs \u2014 especially for the average Chevy customer who uses their steed as primary transportation. Advantage gas-powered Trailblazer. Or Trax or Equinox.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

You see the holes in this idea that everyone will buy electric in 15 years. I\u2019m not buying it.<\/p>\n

More likely the folks buying the Bolt EV\/EUV will be niche customers who seek out EVs: Customers who would expect to pay a 10-grand premium on a subcompact SUV, or who would have a second (or third) car for long-distance trips and only use the EV for daily commutes.<\/p>\n

So is the 2022\u00a0Bolt EV\/EUV better positioned to appeal to\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0niche customer than it was when it debuted as a 2017 model? Absolutely.<\/p>\n

Start with the price. Bolt EV is a cool $6,000 cheaper than the first-gen model. Oh yes, I\u2019m old enough to remember when the 2017 Bolt opened to a Motown fever predicting Tesla had met its match. Then priced at $37,495, the Bolt EV went\u00a0mano a mano<\/em>\u00a0against the 2017\u00a0$35,000 Model 3 \u2014 the General\u2019s well-oiled manufacturing machine beating the typically tardy Silicon Valley automaker to market by eight months.<\/p>\n

The automotive press was atwitter. \u201cGeneral Motors is about to take the lead in the electric car race,\u201d thrilled Wired magazine. Analysts predicted sales of 80,000 units a year. \u201cTesla just hit the competitive iceberg. RIP,\u201d announced Seeking Alpha.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Well, not quite.<\/p>\n

Bolt sales haven’t topped 24,000 annually. When the Model 3 finally started deliveries (including to your humble scribe), it sold over 140,000 units in 2018, becoming luxury\u2019s best-selling vehicle. Sales eclipsed 200,000 last year. Brand matters, and Chevrolet\u00a0is no Tesla.<\/p>\n

For Act Two, Chevy realistically targets its brand peers: Hyundai Kona EV, VW ID-4, Nissan Leaf.<\/p>\n

Here, Bolt is better placed with its $31,000\u00a0base price. That\u2019s on par with the Leaf and well below the Hyundai and V-dub that start in the high-$30,000 range. In top trim offerings, pricing is more competitive. Think $45,000\u00a0for the ID.4 and $47,000 for a comparable Kona EV.<\/p>\n

This is where Chevy\u2019s recipe gets creative.<\/p>\n

Grabbing from Cadillac\u2019s cookbook, Chevy spiced my $43,000 Bolt EUV with Tesla-like, Super Cruise driver assistance. No other mainstream brand can touch it. Entering I-75, I pressed the Super Cruise icon on the steering wheel and a green bar lit up the top of my steering wheel.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

We\u2019re self-driving, baby!<\/em><\/p>\n

With an infrared camera mounted on the steering to make sure I didn\u2019t nod off, Super Cruise took over the Bolt so I could eat breakfast (raspberry tart and milk. Delicious), check email, and so on. No interruptions like my Model 3’s Autopilot nannying me to keep my hands on the steering wheel. When it was time to exit the interstate (Super Cruise works only on divided highways), the Bolt EUV kindly asked that I take over again.<\/p>\n

Never mind that, ahem, few will use Bolt EUV as a trip vehicle (charging infrastructure is still thin). Most will just use it around town (Chevy will install a 240-volt charger in your garage for free). But Super Cruise is the type of tech that EV geeks expect in the Age of Tesla.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a needed differentiator in a segment where everything looks alike. The Bolt, Kona EV\u00a0and ID.4 appear separated at birth: blank fascias, rounded edges, utilitarian hatchbacks.<\/p>\n

If only the Bolt had edgy lines and a vertical light signature. Like a Caddy.<\/p>\n

2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV\/EUV<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: All-electric, front-wheel-drive,\u00a0five-passenger\u00a0subcompact hatchback\/SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $31,995, including destination fee\u00a0(about $43,000\u00a0for Premiere EUV as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant:\u00a065 kW lithium-ion battery pack mated to front electric motor<\/p>\n

Power: 200\u00a0horsepower,\u00a0266\u00a0pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a0One-speed direct drive<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph,\u00a06.5 seconds (mnfr.); top speed, 93 mph<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,679\u202fpounds\u202f(Bolt EUV as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: 259-mile range (Bolt EV); 250-mile range (Bolt EUV)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/h3>\n

Highs:\u00a0More price competitive with other EVs;\u00a0attractive face and Super Cruise<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Pricey compared to Chevy gas models;\u00a0charging infrastructure<\/p>\n

Overall:\u00a03\u202fstars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The second generation, battery-powered Chevy Bolt EV is better than ever. I just wish it were a Caddy. The 2022 Bolt EV (as in Electric Vehicle) has acquired a stretched version \u2014 called the Bolt EUV (Electric Utility Vehicle) \u2014 and all kinds of luxury touches. Super Cruise self-driving like a Cadillac Escalade. Three inches […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26975"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26975"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26979,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26975\/revisions\/26979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}