Here’s the thing with the Bolt: it’s Chevrolet’s first attempt at making an electric vehicle designed with mass production in mind, a zero-emission warrior meant to appeal to as many people as possible. And because it’s a first, the front-wheel-drive Bolt EV can’t help but be at the receiving end of the discerning customer.
Mr. Regular of Regular Car Reviews highlights what’s wrong or sub-standard with the U.S. counterpart of the Opel- and Vauxhall-branded Ampera-e, and boy there’s a lot to chat about. First of all, the size of the Bolt makes the subcompact hatchback a bit cramped. The front seats are unsatisfactory because the seat bottom is too narrow for the average butt to fit snugly.
The gear lever and the way it’s operated? That’s a bit of a miss too, chiefly because General Motors made it too difficult to use, even for people acquainted with automatic transmissions. Then there’s the range. There are people who can hit the EPA estimate because they don’t need to get from Point A to Point B on time, but for most of us, 238 miles is an overstatement.
Among the criticism, Mr. Regular would also like to point out that the Bolt feels cheap inside and has a tendency to understeer. Considering it’s small, somewhat high, and weighs a lot more than other subcompacts, it doesn’t come as a surprise handling isn’t one of the Chevy Bolt’s specialties.
Viewed from a wider perspective, everything that’s wrong with the Bolt is just a drop in the bucket. On the plus side, the get-up-and-go is fairly decent, the cabin is adequately quiet, and customers don’t have to wait at least a year from deposit to delivery as Tesla rolls with the Model 3. Of course, General Motors could’ve made the Bolt better, but with time, GM will make amends with more comfort, more range, more performance, and more value.
The gear lever and the way it’s operated? That’s a bit of a miss too, chiefly because General Motors made it too difficult to use, even for people acquainted with automatic transmissions. Then there’s the range. There are people who can hit the EPA estimate because they don’t need to get from Point A to Point B on time, but for most of us, 238 miles is an overstatement.
Among the criticism, Mr. Regular would also like to point out that the Bolt feels cheap inside and has a tendency to understeer. Considering it’s small, somewhat high, and weighs a lot more than other subcompacts, it doesn’t come as a surprise handling isn’t one of the Chevy Bolt’s specialties.
Viewed from a wider perspective, everything that’s wrong with the Bolt is just a drop in the bucket. On the plus side, the get-up-and-go is fairly decent, the cabin is adequately quiet, and customers don’t have to wait at least a year from deposit to delivery as Tesla rolls with the Model 3. Of course, General Motors could’ve made the Bolt better, but with time, GM will make amends with more comfort, more range, more performance, and more value.