Chevrolet’s low-end entry-level EV seemed too good for this world.
If you’ve bought an EV in the last few years, you’ve probably come across a bit of a shock. You can’t get around it. Most of the EVs on the market today, which people actually want to buy because they have comfortable space and good range, are expensive. Data from the Kerry Blue Book show that Tesla recently saw car prices skyrocket for months, until declining demand forced the company to cut prices on all of its products. The average selling price of an EV was still $58,940. That puts him nearly $15,000 more than the average selling price of a non-luxury gasoline car.
That’s enough of a price difference to keep many potential buyers from considering an EV, even before we get into charging and range. But Chevrolet’s Volt EV and Volt EUV don’t need the EV market to look like this, at least until GM announces it’s ending production of these later this year so it can mass-produce its giant electric trucks. It was proof that
You can’t get around it: Most EVs on the market today are expensive
The Volt was the best EV you can buy today (and you can still find one). The tiny Volt EV started at $27,495 (including destination). The slightly larger EUV model was $28,795 (including destination). The result is a modern EV with over 200 miles of real-world range, plenty of space for five people, and all the modern comfort and safety features you’d expect from a new 2023 car. The Volt is one of the few EVs you can buy today that qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit from the federal government.
This was a brand new EV with a total cost well under $30,000. There is literally nothing to match this on the road, and it’s a shame GM has decided it no longer has a future.
We had the chance to test the Volt EUV earlier this year to see what an affordable and accessible EV might look like in 2023. My test unit was a full-featured Premier Redline model with a sticker price of $39,480 on him with a destination. But much of that cost is due to trim and features you don’t need, and most people shouldn’t pay the extra. That’s ventilated leather front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, surround-view cameras, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and about $6,000 less. After factoring in federal tax credits, the net amount is just under $26,000. That’s less than half the average selling price of an EV. Some states offer even more incentives to lower costs even further.
It’s a shame GM decided the Bolt no longer has a future
Even risking death at this point, there are no viable EV options at this price point. The Nissan Leaf starts at around $28,000 and the Hyundai Kona is his less than $34,000, but since it’s not made in the US, it doesn’t qualify for the tax credit, and the Volt has an advantage. (Bolt’s rated range is longer than Leaf’s and about the same as Kona’s.)
Volkswagen’s upcoming ID. The 2all is priced in the mid-$20s and promises 300 miles of range in a Golf-like hatchback design, but that’s still a long way off. Tesla may continue to slash the price of the Model 3, down to the $35,000 price promised all those years ago, but I don’t want that to happen.
Even at its bargain price, the Bolt EUV didn’t feel like a stripped-down underground bargain car. The car I drove had a 10.2-inch center screen, a customizable 8-inch digital gauge cluster, ambient lighting, and remote start and control from your phone or key fob. The black leather interior of my test unit wasn’t uncomfortable.There are still plenty of physical buttons and controls for things like climate. Perhaps the only real complaint I had was the glossiness of the center console There was a piano black finish.
Like all electric vehicles, the Bolt is quiet and road-ready, but it never offered a particularly sporty experience. It’s a car that can get you from point A to point B with minimal fuss.There’s a sport mode you can toggle on, but basically it’s just a little bit more aggressive on the throttle pedal and the sport button pushes the steering wheel. GM’s EVs that followed definitely featured more aggressive acceleration figures and performance that looked great in commercials but weren’t really practical for everyday use. ing.
There are no other viable EV options at this price, risking death at this point
The Volt EUV has space for 5 cars, which was probably a big reason for its decline. He is definitely one of the smaller cars on the road today. (The difference between it and the Volt EV is that it’s about 6 inches longer in length, almost all towards the more rear-seat passenger compartment.) I found it fits her family of five, including a toddler car seat, and is great for short trips. was no problem. Or errands. The kids had plenty of room in the back seat and it was easy to get the toddler in and out of the car seat. In addition, because of its hatchback-like form, there was plenty of luggage space.
But Americans are reluctant to buy compact hatchbacks (RIP, BMW i3, another small EV not for sale). Other parts of the world will have compact, affordable EV options, including those made by GM itself. Instead, you get cars and trucks with obscene amounts of horsepower and oversized battery packs. These are expensive to manufacture and charge, and impractical for the kind of driving most Americans do.
Another thing I miss from Bolt? The ability to use your smartphone with an infotainment system. GM recently made the painstaking announcement that it plans to do away with CarPlay and Android Auto in future EVs, both of which were available on the Bolt.
The Bolt EUV’s EPA rating is in the 247-mile range, which isn’t quite as far as the Tesla Model 3 or other expensive EVs on the market, but it’s plenty of range to avoid. anxiety. In my week of driving him (in the mid-40s outside most of the time), the estimated range inside the car reached about 213 miles.
Its maximum 55kW DC fast charging speed isn’t as fast as the likes of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. Both can be charged at rates up to 350kW (and cost about $20,000 more). The best the Volt can do when plugged into a DC fast charger is getting around 100 miles of range on a 30 minute charge. GM’s new Ultium EV platform, to which the Bolt has never been migrated, offers faster charging options.
The Volt EUV has space for 5 cars, which was probably a big reason for its decline.
But let me tell you a little secret here. Neither the range nor the charging speed is of great importance to the majority of drivers. When I used the Bolt, I used it for my typical driving needs. Take your kids to school or other activities, run errands, visit local friends, or go out. The maximum distance I’ve driven in his day is about 40 miles, well within the Volt. And I’m not particularly special. According to US Federal Highway Administration data, the average American he drives about 37 miles per day (about 37 miles).
My garage doesn’t have a 240V charging plug, so I ended up using a standard 120V wall outlet to charge the car. Still, I was able to top up or fully charge each night. Drive the Volt during the day, come home in the evening, plug it in, and hit the 200-mile range the next day. I didn’t even have to look for faster options on public chargers because I didn’t need one.
Before testing the Bolt and using it in normal driving fashion, need 240V charging option for EV. Now, I think it’s a nice luxury to have, but many people can certainly do better with slow charging. Alex Dykes from the EV Buyers Guide YouTube channel has a good breakdown of EV charging here.)
Sadly, larger EVs aren’t as efficient as the Volt and come with larger batteries that take much longer to charge. The ability to rely on a standard wall outlet to charge an EV overnight may not be long in this world. Instead, it replaces the ability of oversized electric trucks to become mobile generators during rare power outages.
Chevrolet’s Bolt line has had a bumpy track record over the past few years, having to recall 150,000 vehicles in 2021 to replace faulty batteries that have caused more than a dozen fires. Despite bringing the Tesla Model 3 to market with a two-year model and slashing the price, it couldn’t compete with something busier, more engaging and more fun to drive than the Tesla Model 3. .
But the Volt remained an affordable and practical EV option. The fact that GM is killing it in favor of bigger, more expensive cars that are easier to sell and show off in dealer lots is a grim preview of what’s to come. Yes, we need EVs to meet American appetite for bigger, flashier, faster cars. You will need more.
