3 Ways the New 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV Is a Fail and 2 Ways It Succeeds
General Motor’s all-electric future takes another step forward this coming year when the existing “give-away” Bolt design is replaced with two new models for the US market. We say “give-away” because that is basically what GM is doing to move these unwanted EVs off dealer lots. Discounting from GM and its dealer network is now approaching $20,000 and with no state or federal incentives, new Chevy Bolts now cost buyers between $20K and $26K.
The new 2022 Bolt is pretty much the old Bolt that went on sale in 2016 with a new skin and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Sure, there are some other differences in the body skin and interior trim, but none that will make any buyer want to rush out and pay more than the $20K they now cost.
The 2022 Bolt EUV is a new model that is a larger version of the Bolt hatchback. Here are three ways we feel the new Bolt EUV fails and a couple of ways that we think it advances the Bolt line.
Bolt EUV Failure Number One - No Ultium Batteries
General Motors is designing a new modular battery and powertrain technology called Ultium. To say it is a “bet the farm” move is not really an overstatement. GM tells us some great things about this new technology, which is being created in a partnership. We are willing to believe all of it and say “game-changer." The new Bolt EUV does not have this EV powertrain and battery technology. Instead, it gets the same technology launched in 2016.
Related Story: Plug-In Hybrid Crossovers Are Better At Towing Than Battery-Electric Vehicles Like The Bolt EUV
Bolt EUV Failure Number Two - No All-Wheel Drive
The 2022 Bolt EUV is being marketed as an electric utility vehicle. We are open to the idea of an electric utility vehicle. We have interviewed many RAV4 Prime PHEV owners who also own BEVs that are using the RAV4 Prime as a utility vehicle. They tow with it, the use it for long road trips to places where charging is a hassle (almost everywhere). And they use it to get them to snowy places.
The Bolt EUV is a front-wheel drive car. It will use the same drivetrain the current Bolt hatchback has, more or less. Less if you count range. The Bolt EUV is expected to have a range of just 250 miles. With no AWD option, the Bolt EUV won’t be pulling your boat up a slippery slimy boat ramp this summer. With 2WD and its super-hard, low-rolling-resistance tires, it won’t make for a great snow day commuter car either. These are two real-world utility scenarios.
The Bolt EUV will be a bigger version of the Bolt in the way the Prius V was a bigger Prius. It will have similar capabilities and may end up being much loved by its owners for its large cargo area. But that is the end of its “utility” role.
Bolt EUV Fail Number Three - Cargo Floor
The cargo area of the new 2022 Bolt EUV is the big focus of the new model. We can’t see any other area in which it meaningfully tops the 2016 Bolt hatchback. However, one glance at the cargo area shows that when the rear seats fold, they do not fold flat. For those who camp, or use their car for moving heavy bulky items, a flat cargo floor is a priority. And the Bolt EUV does not offer a flat cargo floor area.
Want a second preview opinion of the 2022 Bolt EUV? Check out the video above by TFL Studios.
Bolt EUV Improvement Number One - Supercruise
The outgoing Bolt was a technology leader in 2016, but by 2021 its tech was not that hot. Don’t get us wrong, we actually love the package the Bolt offers, but many folks expect an EV to be ultra-modern. One area that the 2022 Bolt EUV ups the ante is with GM’s SuperCruise. GM first announced this technology in 2011. This ten-year-old hands-off adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping system is a hit with reviewers. The Bolt and Bolt EUV should be the least expensive GM vehicles to feature this technology.
Bolt EUV Improvement Number Two - Infotainment
GM will offer wireless Andriod Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as a wireless phone charger in the Bolt EUV. This is an important technology pairing for those of us who prefer to not to pay thousands for a built-in Nav system and those who don’t want the monthly payment of a subscription to OnStar. It is good to see GM matching vehicles like the 2021 Hyundai Elantra in offering this now mature technology.
We look forward to driving the new 2022 Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV and finding more good things to say about them. We still don’t have all the details yet. We don’t know if GM stole the spare as it did in the current Bolt, if the vehicles are fun to drive (the outgoing Bolt sure is), and if the discounting will match the $20K to $26K cost point buyers have come to expect when shopping for a new Bolt. Watch Torque News for updates.
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. Following his engineering program, John also completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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