I drove a $44,000 Chevy Bolt with 260 miles of range to see if the upgraded electric car is still a Tesla rival — here's the verdict

Matthew DeBordMay 5, 2020, 21:45 IST

Business Insider

The 2020 Chevy Bolt has been updated to deliver 259 miles of range per charge, an improvement on the 240 miles that we enjoyed back in 2017 when we first tested the EV.
Otherwise, the Bolt isn't much changed, apart from getting a 66-kilowatt-hour battery pack, larger than the 60 kWh pack from the previous iteration.
The Bolt now competes against a more crowded field of contenders, including the Tesla Model 3, but this zippy subcompact continues to be charming, versatile, and affordable.
I called it a masterpiece back in 2017, and I haven't changed my mind.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I can remember a time when Tesla's only real competition was the Chevy Bolt.

Oh, how long ago 2017 now seems! The Bolt is still with us, but a lot of other long-range EVs have arrived to steal Tesla's thunder. Sort of. Tesla still dominates the EV market.

What Tesla doesn't dominate is the entry-level segment; in fact, Chevy and the Bolt have that space almost to themselves (some competition has emerged from Kia/Hyundai).

Whenever I think of buying an EV, I invariably think, "Tesla." But soon thereafter, I remember that I could head over to my local Chevy dealer, about two miles from my house, and drive a Bolt home that same day, assuming there was one on the lot.

For that reason, I like to keep up with the Bolt and was thrilled when the updated, longer-range version landed at Business Insider's suburban New Jersey test center.

Here's how it went:

Read the original article on Business Insider

So what's the verdict?

Matthew DeBord/Insider

As with all GM vehicles, OnStar's safety and connectivity services can be accessed at the push of a blue button.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The cameras are pretty crisp, and my Bolt also had some driver-assist goodies, including forward-collision alert and lane-departure warnings.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

... Who want to track their Bolt's performance.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

... for EV enthusiasts ...

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The system also offers various monitoring screens ...

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's a suite of apps, 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth pairing, USB ports front and rear, a premium Bose seven-speaker audio system, wireless charging, and available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — but no GPS navigation.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's a suite of apps, 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth pairing, USB ports front and rear, a premium Bose seven-speaker audio system, wireless charging, and available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — but no GPS navigation.

The infotainment system runs on a responsive, colorful 10.2-inch touchscreen. In my tester, it was upgraded with a $595 package.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt does a good job of using regenerative braking and a regen paddle on the steering wheel to keep battery charge optimized. If you aren't hitting the freeway and taxing the battery, it's possible to putter around town for a week and still have more than 100 miles in the "tank." I ended up with 135 miles in reserve.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt does a good job of using regenerative braking and a regen paddle on the steering wheel to keep battery charge optimized. If you aren't hitting the freeway and taxing the battery, it's possible to putter around town for a week and still have more than 100 miles in the "tank." I ended up with 135 miles in reserve.

It's a simple plug-and-play process.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

I used ChargePoint to top off the Bolt at a nearby Level 2 station.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's an included charge cable, for "trickle" charging or 240-volt overnight re-juicing.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The charge port is located on the Bolt's left side.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt's drivetrain has a single motor over the front wheels, with a single forward gear, and the total power output is a peppy 200 horsepower.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Orange is the universal color of electric-vehicle under-the-hood-ness. This is so mechanics, engineers, and emergency personnel know where the high-voltage connections are.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Orange is the universal color of electric-vehicle under-the-hood-ness. This is so mechanics, engineers, and emergency personnel know where the high-voltage connections are.

We aren't seeing everything here — for gearheads, popping the hood on an EV can be sort of dispiriting. The Bolt's 66 kilowatt-hour battery pack is actually located under the vehicle's floorboards.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

We aren't seeing everything here — for gearheads, popping the hood on an EV can be sort of dispiriting. The Bolt's 66 kilowatt-hour battery pack is actually located under the vehicle's floorboards.

Let's see what's under this EV's hood!

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Nothing exceptional or high-tech about the key fob — but the Bolt EV does have remote start! There's a myChevrolet app that has Bolt-specific features.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt is easily the most capacious-feeling subcompact I've ever tested.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The lack of an engine, again, creates interior space.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Storage space is decent, for a vehicle this wee.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The joystick shifter has a learning curve, but I got the hang of it in a hurry.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The multifunction steering wheel is nothing special, but it was heated in the Premier trim. The front seats were also heated.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Plenty of room to stretch out! Normally, we note that subcompacts are basically useless for transporting adults in the back seat, but the Bolt is sort of an exception.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The lack of internal-combustion components means that the Bolt has good legroom in back, for a subcompact vehicle.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The rear bench seats were also pretty good, for the segment.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The interior was "Dark Galvanized Gray." While it was far from upscale, it was comfy and pleasant.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

It easily swallowed two large boxes.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

At 17 cubic feet, the Bolt's cargo hold is larger than the Tesla Model 3's trunk (15 cubic feet). The Model 3 has a front trunk, or "frunk," adding some space, but drop the Bolt's rear seats and capacity expands to 57 cubic feet.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

At 17 cubic feet, the Bolt's cargo hold is larger than the Tesla Model 3's trunk (15 cubic feet). The Model 3 has a front trunk, or "frunk," adding some space, but drop the Bolt's rear seats and capacity expands to 57 cubic feet.

The back end's design would be familiar to anyone who's even tailgated traffic in Europe, where hatchback's rule the road.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Aesthetically, the Bolt combines a fun appearance with a vibe that definitely says, "I don't cost that much."

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

All Tesla has to compete with it at the moment is the long-range, all-wheel-drive version of the new Model Y crossover, at $53,000.

Tesla Model Y. Tesla

So, there no way around this: the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier is a rather small vehicle. That's not a negative: the base version is $36,620, and it offers long-range, entry-level EVing in a versatile, hatchback platform.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

So, there no way around this: the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier is a rather small vehicle. That's not a negative: the base version is $36,620, and it offers long-range, entry-level EVing in a versatile, hatchback platform.

... And rear wheels were 17-inchers on my test car.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The front ...

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

And the Chevy bowtie badge, is shimmering gold, is front and rear.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt EV nameplate appears both on the flanks and the rear.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt gets a nice pair of HID Xenon projector headlights, plus LED running lights. The lamps are intellibeam units — they an "turn" with the car.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's no internal-combustion engine, to there's no need for a grille intended for air intake. Unfortunately, this does give the Bolt's fascia a very plasticky appearance.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's no internal-combustion engine, to there's no need for a grille intended for air intake. Unfortunately, this does give the Bolt's fascia a very plasticky appearance.

The Bolt was envisioned by the GM's Korean studio, a lab for the company's small-car platforms. Because it was engineered around its large, 60 kWh LG battery pack — which provides actual structural integrity to the car — the Bolt is distinctive within GM's global lineup.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt was envisioned by the GM's Korean studio, a lab for the company's small-car platforms. Because it was engineered around its large, 60 kWh LG battery pack — which provides actual structural integrity to the car — the Bolt is distinctive within GM's global lineup.

I've actually visited Orion, where the Bolt assembly process is an efficient thing to watch.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

... To serve in the autonomous fleet of GM-affiliated self-driving car company, Cruise.

Chevy Bolt EV outfitted with Cruise autonomous-driving technology. GM

The Bolt is manufactured at GM's Orion assembly plant, where it can be modified ...

Chevy Bolt EV. GM

The Bolt EV formed the basis for GM's entire EV strategy — the automaker intends to roll out 22 electric vehicles by 2023.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt is a decently-made vehicle in that company, but it's far less snazzy than the Model 3 and a bit more bare-bones than the Leaf. Still, Chevy took the leave from announcement in 2015 to launch in 2016 — an impressive dash to market.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt is a decently-made vehicle in that company, but it's far less snazzy than the Model 3 and a bit more bare-bones than the Leaf. Still, Chevy took the leave from announcement in 2015 to launch in 2016 — an impressive dash to market.

The Nissan Leaf Plus is also in the competitive mix. We tested a $44,000 example that offered 214 miles of range.

Nissan Leaf. Matthew DeBord/BI

The Bolt's biggest rivals remain the base version of the Tesla Model 3 at about $40,000, with 250 miles of range. I tested a more expensive version: $57,500.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

... The update doesn't really look different from the car that wowed us back in 2017.

2017 Chevy Bolt EV. Hollis Johnson

For 2020, the big update to the Bolt EV is more about what's under the hood than what's visible to the eye ...

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt remains a subcompact hatchback, a modest platform for such an important vehicle. The base price was $41,020, but a few thousand bucks in extras took the sticker to $44,130, as-tested.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt remains a subcompact hatchback, a modest platform for such an important vehicle. The base price was $41,020, but a few thousand bucks in extras took the sticker to $44,130, as-tested.

Say hello to the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV, in top-level Premier trim. The paint job was my personal Chevy fave these days: "Cajun Red Tintcoat."

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

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I drove a $44,000 Chevy Bolt with 260 miles of range to see if the upgraded electric car is still a Tesla rival — here's the verdict

So what's the verdict?

As with all GM vehicles, OnStar's safety and connectivity services can be accessed at the push of a blue button.

The cameras are pretty crisp, and my Bolt also had some driver-assist goodies, including forward-collision alert and lane-departure warnings.

... Who want to track their Bolt's performance.

... for EV enthusiasts ...

The system also offers various monitoring screens ...

There's a suite of apps, 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth pairing, USB ports front and rear, a premium Bose seven-speaker audio system, wireless charging, and available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — but no GPS navigation.

The infotainment system runs on a responsive, colorful 10.2-inch touchscreen. In my tester, it was upgraded with a $595 package.

It's a simple plug-and-play process.

I used ChargePoint to top off the Bolt at a nearby Level 2 station.

There's an included charge cable, for "trickle" charging or 240-volt overnight re-juicing.

The charge port is located on the Bolt's left side.

The Bolt's drivetrain has a single motor over the front wheels, with a single forward gear, and the total power output is a peppy 200 horsepower.

Orange is the universal color of electric-vehicle under-the-hood-ness. This is so mechanics, engineers, and emergency personnel know where the high-voltage connections are.

We aren't seeing everything here — for gearheads, popping the hood on an EV can be sort of dispiriting. The Bolt's 66 kilowatt-hour battery pack is actually located under the vehicle's floorboards.

Let's see what's under this EV's hood!

Nothing exceptional or high-tech about the key fob — but the Bolt EV does have remote start! There's a myChevrolet app that has Bolt-specific features.

The Bolt is easily the most capacious-feeling subcompact I've ever tested.

The lack of an engine, again, creates interior space.

Storage space is decent, for a vehicle this wee.

The joystick shifter has a learning curve, but I got the hang of it in a hurry.

The multifunction steering wheel is nothing special, but it was heated in the Premier trim. The front seats were also heated.

Plenty of room to stretch out! Normally, we note that subcompacts are basically useless for transporting adults in the back seat, but the Bolt is sort of an exception.

The lack of internal-combustion components means that the Bolt has good legroom in back, for a subcompact vehicle.

The rear bench seats were also pretty good, for the segment.

The interior was "Dark Galvanized Gray." While it was far from upscale, it was comfy and pleasant.

It easily swallowed two large boxes.

At 17 cubic feet, the Bolt's cargo hold is larger than the Tesla Model 3's trunk (15 cubic feet). The Model 3 has a front trunk, or "frunk," adding some space, but drop the Bolt's rear seats and capacity expands to 57 cubic feet.

The back end's design would be familiar to anyone who's even tailgated traffic in Europe, where hatchback's rule the road.

Aesthetically, the Bolt combines a fun appearance with a vibe that definitely says, "I don't cost that much."

All Tesla has to compete with it at the moment is the long-range, all-wheel-drive version of the new Model Y crossover, at $53,000.

So, there no way around this: the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier is a rather small vehicle. That's not a negative: the base version is $36,620, and it offers long-range, entry-level EVing in a versatile, hatchback platform.

... And rear wheels were 17-inchers on my test car.

The front ...

And the Chevy bowtie badge, is shimmering gold, is front and rear.

The Bolt EV nameplate appears both on the flanks and the rear.

The Bolt gets a nice pair of HID Xenon projector headlights, plus LED running lights. The lamps are intellibeam units — they an "turn" with the car.

There's no internal-combustion engine, to there's no need for a grille intended for air intake. Unfortunately, this does give the Bolt's fascia a very plasticky appearance.

The Bolt was envisioned by the GM's Korean studio, a lab for the company's small-car platforms. Because it was engineered around its large, 60 kWh LG battery pack — which provides actual structural integrity to the car — the Bolt is distinctive within GM's global lineup.

I've actually visited Orion, where the Bolt assembly process is an efficient thing to watch.

... To serve in the autonomous fleet of GM-affiliated self-driving car company, Cruise.

The Bolt is manufactured at GM's Orion assembly plant, where it can be modified ...

The Bolt EV formed the basis for GM's entire EV strategy — the automaker intends to roll out 22 electric vehicles by 2023.

The Bolt is a decently-made vehicle in that company, but it's far less snazzy than the Model 3 and a bit more bare-bones than the Leaf. Still, Chevy took the leave from announcement in 2015 to launch in 2016 — an impressive dash to market.

The Nissan Leaf Plus is also in the competitive mix. We tested a $44,000 example that offered 214 miles of range.

The Bolt's biggest rivals remain the base version of the Tesla Model 3 at about $40,000, with 250 miles of range. I tested a more expensive version: $57,500.

... The update doesn't really look different from the car that wowed us back in 2017.

For 2020, the big update to the Bolt EV is more about what's under the hood than what's visible to the eye ...

The Bolt remains a subcompact hatchback, a modest platform for such an important vehicle. The base price was $41,020, but a few thousand bucks in extras took the sticker to $44,130, as-tested.

Say hello to the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV, in top-level Premier trim. The paint job was my personal Chevy fave these days: "Cajun Red Tintcoat."