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GM unveiled the award-winning Chevrolet Bolt EV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) back in 2016, starting production later that year and beating even Tesla to market with an affordable long-range EV.
Since then, the Bolt EV has sold in steady volumes and built up a cult following among early adopters (and those who simply couldn’t hold on for the Tesla Model 3.)
However, the EV market moves quickly and is unforgiving. As a result, the Bolt EV is already outdated in 2019 and ready for the same kind of mid-cycle refresh that revitalized the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid back in 2015.
On the subject of PHEV vs. BEV, here's why even in retirement, the Chevy Volt still impacts sales of the 2019 Bolt EV.
Here are 3 areas that make the Bolt EV feel outdated compared to the competition:
1. Slow DC Fast Charging Speed.
2. Limited OTA Software Updates.
3. Low Tech Interior.
Let’s examine each of these more closely and see what GM can do to bring its first pure-electric car back to the future.
1. Quicker DC Fast Charging
When the Bolt EV was released, the North American charging infrastructure was limited, to say the least. DC fast charging units were typically rated 50kW at best and limited to coastal routes or major metropolitan areas. With the ability to hit 55kW on a capable charge unit, the Bolt EV’s maximum charge rate seemed rather spritely.
Fast forward three years and all that has changed.
Established charging networks like EVgo and ChargePoint are rolling out equipment rated for 150kW charging and above. At the same time, the Electrify America network, funded by VW as its penance for Dieselgate, is future-proofed to the tune of 350kW charging and installing sites coast-to-coast. Competing electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 will soon charge at up to 200kW and even direct compact hatchback competitors, such as the Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia Niro EV, will outperform the Bolt at around 75kW charging.
Attention electric car owners: here is an update on choices for EV public charging options.
Based on the latest EV sales figures, the Bolt has some catching up to do. (Please subscribe to Torque News Youtube Channel for daily automotive news and analysis).
To catch up, GM must do two things:
First: increase the Bolt’s maximum charge speed to reach closer to 100kW.
Second: move the current taper point at 55% closer to 80%. The latter, which refers to the state-of-charge at which the car tells the station to reduce power for battery conservation, is arguably as important as the former.
Both steps would reduce the overall time that Bolt EV drivers spend charging and make longer road trips more achievable for prospective owners.
On the subject of range, the much-anticipated 400-mile Rivian R1T delivers on that score, but here's Why the R1T is Not the Truck to Convert Everyday Pickup Drivers to Electric Vehicles.
2. Accept That Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates Are the Future.
If any non-Tesla EV owner tells you they are not jealous of OTA software updates, that person is either lying or doesn’t know what they are. One of the joys of owning a Tesla is that you can go to sleep and wake up to find your car has been upgraded overnight, without visiting a dealership or paying a dime.
In early 2019, for example, Model 3 LR owners were excited to learn that Tesla’s latest software update had increased their range from 310 to 325 miles per charge. All through the magic of regular OTA updates. By the way, OTA software updates are one of the top 10 reasons why Tesla Model 3 will be remembered like iPhone.
The reality for Bolt EV owners is not nearly as exciting.
Although the car can receive updates in this way, software enhancements from GM have been few and far between. Getting a slightly larger screen for Android Auto one year ago just isn’t in the same league as what Tesla, a company forged in the UX-obsessed fires of Silicon Valley, can provide.
In fairness, this isn’t a challenge facing General Motors alone. Every legacy car manufacturer typically keeps its latest software for the next model year. It's simply not the norm for a car that has already been sold to see a software upgrade. GM could be the first of them to break this tired old mold and every Bolt EV produced, present or future, would be the better for it.
3. Enhance the Interior.
Some elements of the Bolt EV’s interior could be described as tech-forward, such as the relatively large touchscreen or the multiple camera angles for parking assistance, but there are many modern car conveniences that it lacks. Also see this Chevy Bolt vs 2018 Nissan Leaf comparison where Bolt's interior is discussed as well.
Let’s start with the Bolt's seats.
No, not the divisive issue of their body-hugging (dis)comfort, which some owners lament and others kind of love. In this case, we’re looking at the manual controls to adjust the front seats which, in the age of electronic everything and even preset driver profiles for Tesla owners, feels decidedly last decade.
Seats are "one of the primary complaints some Bolt owners have.".
From there, work your way around the cabin and there are things that make the Bolt EV feel ready for a refresh. The mixture of physical buttons and touch screen controls is a little off, for example, with dead space in some places and cluttered digital controls in others. Then we have the hard plastics, which although they’re to be expected in an affordable compact car, should never deliver the blinding glare of the lighter color interior options.
Although these might seem like minor quibbles for some, electric vehicles are supposed to feel like the future and the Bolt EV has enough dated interior design elements to detract from that excitement.
GM’s remit here is simple enough: listen to feedback from owners of the Bolt’s first three model years. We’re a dedicated bunch who can help the company address 90% of what needs improvement in the car’s cabin. It doesn’t need to reach Model 3 levels of minimalism, just a few tweaks that will create a more compelling interior.
The Bolt EV is an excellent electric car that still holds its own in the absurdly dynamic marketplace that it helped to develop three years ago. With improvements in these three key areas and some other minor enhancements, GM can ensure that the 2020 Bolt EV no longer feels outdated and will continue to hold its own as more competitors enter the market.
Watch my Chevy Bolt Reaching a 300 Miles Per Single Charge and Subscribe to Torque News Youtube Channel for more News on EV and Auto Industry.
If you drive a Bolt EV, what aspects of the car would you like to see improved next year?
If you thought about buying but opted not to, what put you off? Let us know in the comments. See you in the next story where I am going to discuss how Toyota is getting an EV Pass with the 2019 Prius Prime sales.
Steve Birkett is an electric vehicle advocate at Plug & Play EV. You can follow him on Twitter at @Plugandplayev, Instagram and Youtube at Plugandplayev Channel to send him EV news tips.
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Comments
I plan on buying a used Bolt
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I plan on buying a used Bolt EV this April. At $23k for used it is a good value. I would love a Kona or Niro EV, but you just cannot buy them easily in Connecticut. If you cannot buy one they don't compete in my market. I don't have $$$ for a Tesla. A refresh of this car would be nice, I will use a Prius as a second car for long haul trips. For me those are maybe 2 times a year. 99 percent will be local charge at home driving.
Sorry, this article is mostly
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Sorry, this article is mostly nit-picking on Chevy Bolt. I have had my Bolt for 6 months and love it so far, and the seats are fine as far as I am concerned.
I own a Bolt and a gas burner
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I own a Bolt and a gas burner. I drive the gas rig maybe once a month for a long trip. The charging network in Michigan is still deplorable.
We ended up with a 3 rather
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We ended up with a Tesla Model 3 rather than a Bolt when our Spark EV lease ended. Bolt was relatively costly in a bang for the buck sense, SuperChargers are nice though I mostly charge at home, stereo and OTA update are not in the same league, handling is also better.
It's too bad Chevy isn't trying harder with making their own batteries at a lower cost and thus having a lower price. The relative sales volumes say a lot. It has to be better at it's current price or cheaper as it is to sell more relative to Tesla.
I know this is not a common view, but I happen to like hatchbacks and this was in the pro Bolt category.
I'm a software engineer. I
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I'm a software engineer. I fully understand OTA. Looking at the history of OTA. I'll pass on frequent OTA. But thanks for assuming any one who doesn't want them is a liar or ignorant, ass.
Unnecessarily flippant, I
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In reply to I'm a software engineer. I by Garrett Moffitt (not verified)
Unnecessarily flippant, I agree. Thanks for the feedback and lesson learned.
Even more importantly we need
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Even more importantly we need bi-directional charging ports that will support V2G and V2H. As it happens, I love my 2018 Bolt, but it should have come with rails for a roof rack to offset the small luggage capacity.
The Premier comes with rails
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In reply to Even more importantly we need by Jock Gill (not verified)
The Premier comes with rails and I've thought at times it would be worth adding a roof rack. In reality we rarely carry enough to justify them, though, and I'm excessively paranoid about anything that detracts from range!
I do feel that the interior
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I do feel that the interior and climate control could be improved upon. I smell everything the freeway has to offer even with the air-conditioner on. The window seals aren't the best for sound proofing either. GM would do well to improve the interior and environment controls.
Interesting, I hadn't noticed
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In reply to I do feel that the interior by Pirhomuon (not verified)
Interesting, I hadn't noticed the smell aspect but the noise level could definitely be reduced. The climate controls seem to be confused at times in our 2017 Bolt... they sometimes work quickly but others you'll get a warm blast when trying to cool the cabin, or vice versa.
I've owned 3 electric cars
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I've owned 3 electric cars and have never once needed a fast charge. In fact I almost never charge outside the home.
That's great. But anyone who
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In reply to I've owned 3 electric cars by David Pepperdine (not verified)
That's great. But anyone who's going more than 200 miles in the Bolt EV will probably want to and that's where charging speed becomes a factor. As a daily driver, it's a non-issue. As a road trip car, it quickly becomes something to think about.
Can’t argue with you 3 main
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Can’t argue with you 3 main points. It would be nice if my ‘18 Bolt was improved in those ways, but I think the charging speed issue is overblown. Literally millions of potential EV buyers will never need to take the vehicle on a long trip because they live in a multi-vehicle household. My wife has a big SUV that we take on the rare long road trip.
That's an important point
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In reply to Can’t argue with you 3 main by FredinNH (not verified)
That's an important point that I should have made: it depends heavily on your use case. Our 2017 Bolt is the family's only car right now, so it operates as both daily driver and road trip vehicle. For the former, charging speed is rarely an issue... maybe in our New England winters, as it looks like you know all about from the NH part of your monicker, but right now I'm at ~30% and still have more than 100 miles on the GOM. Winter range loss and pre-conditioning makes us think about charging a little more, but it's only really the road trips that are extended because of it. It actually makes quite a difference in some instances, because a 60 minute stop feels substantially more than a 45 minute one, which usually aligns with the length of our rest breaks. Still, for many it could easily be a non-factor.
Reduced cold weather range. I
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Reduced cold weather range. I leased a 2018 Nissan LEAF for only 3 weeks because it stranded me 63 miles from home. It was supposed to have a range of 151 miles, but it lost miles at over twice the rate traveled when it was 20 degrees.
I doubt many potential
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I doubt many potential purchasers of the Bolt will read this, but as with any product, I suggest filtering out all the "experts," bloggers, and commenters who are not actual Bolt owners. Having owned a Bolt for over a year, I can say that the points raised in this article (and most of the comments), while theoretically valid, are of zero real world concern. What makes the Bolt a great car is its combination of range, performance, and price. Everything else is a quibble. Actual owners love this car, just ask one.
While your points are also
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In reply to I doubt many potential by Kevin (not verified)
While your points are also valid, of course, one owner's quibble is another's important consideration. I find the seats fine, perhaps even good, for example, but other prospective buyers have categorically said that they didn't buy because they were uncomfortable.
And the assumption that I'm not an owner is odd, given that I mention it several times in the article and that my own 2017 Bolt EV is pictured several times herein! Constructive criticism is meant to be just that... I love the car, but won't gloss over imperfections that might be important to some buyers.
Good points here by Steve,
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In reply to While your points are also by Steve Birkett
Good points here by Steve, especially that he's a real owner. For readers who may not be, it's hard to convey how difficult it is to wipe the smile on your face when zipping past a gas station, or sitting in traffic without pumping hydrocarbons into the atmosphere just to run the AC. In my dreams, they make an AWD version, but doubt anyone in the real world would be as crazy as me to pay for this... Bolt Owners Unite!
Hi, actually owner here. I do
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In reply to I doubt many potential by Kevin (not verified)
Hi, actually owner here. I do NOT love this car. It's literally painful to sit in, the infotainment system is a hot mess, and the lines on the back up camera don't work 10% of the time.
The electrical system is fantastic, plugging in at home is fantastic, not stopping for gas is fantastic. None of that matters when it's physically painful to sit in, and frustrating to use the infotainment system; which is the cause of an accident waiting to happen.
FTR: I'm 5'9" 195. Those seat should not be too narrow for me.
I would go back to my corolla in a snap, if I could.
Bummer for sure...but a
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In reply to Hi, actually owner here. I do by Garrett Moffitt (not verified)
Bummer for sure...but a couple ideas that might help a little: (1) leapfrog over the "Infotainment" system and use Android Auto (or Apple equivalent) with your smartphone--which is already personalized and better anyway. And (2) remember if you want to keep the radio from coming on every time you start the car, just set it to Sirrus station 0 [zero], which is a blank station. The seats are harder to fix (I've never found them uncomfortable), but I note in the forums some people improve them with aftermarket gel/foam pads. Best of luck...
Thanks. My primary problem
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In reply to Bummer for sure...but a by Kevin (not verified)
Thanks. My primary problem with the infotainment system, is that it doesn't connect and start my music on my phone automatically, like very other car stereo I've used in the last decade. Second which is the stupid off peak interface.
And when the phone disconnection the FM radio auto starts and a really high volume.
So, I get in my car.
Start car.
FM starts automatically at some level the car defaults to(WTF?)
Plug phone in.
Android Auto starts.
The screen shows me the music it's set to but won't start it.
I need to switch the the pixel sourse.
Start music.
Turn off car, android auto shut off, FM radio start at a really loud setting.
As oppose to my Corolla.
Start car.
Car connects to phone.
Car starts playing google music.
Turn off car, music stops.
I connected my phone to my corolla and never touched the stereo until I set up another phone, after 4 years.
I never listen to an broadcast for a second.
Yeah, I'll be getting after market stuff, might go to a interior person. It's just frustrating to drop this much money and then have to do a "fix" a month later.
" just set it to Sirrus station 0 [zero],"
Sweet, thanks. Kinda of kicking my self for not thinking of that!
Sorry to hear that, Garrett.
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In reply to Hi, actually owner here. I do by Garrett Moffitt (not verified)
Sorry to hear that, Garrett. I think GM just needs to go back to the drawing board with the front interior controls, seats, and whatever else owners frequently identify as an issue. I'm 6'2", 210 lbs and have literally driven thousands of miles without an issue, but that doesn't make them any more comfortable for you and those who have the same problem. I never hear the same complaints about the Leaf, so it proves you can get a perfectly comfortable ride at that price point without sacrificing range.
I have a 2018 Bolt and I'm
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I have a 2018 Bolt and I'm very pleased with it. I look, from time to time, at Tesla but I won't buy one until they make CarPlay an option. I also love the Bolt's 360 degree camera
I'm tired of reviewers
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I'm tired of reviewers bleating about the Bolt's interior materials. I like the interior finish and think it fits the car. I have no use for a leather coated dash or fake wood trim. Plastic finish never bothered me on a computer or phone and here's another piece of tech. I decided against M3 in part because of its inferior interior, particularly how there's no display of any kind in the driver's line of sight. Tesla and GM both made sacrifices for cost, but Tesla's decision to omit a dash display and jam every control into a comically oversized center-mounted iPad compromised the car' s functionality. Bolt is a car for practical people who value function over form--hatchback utility, smartphone integration, durable build quality, reasonable price. Tesla is not without some concrete advantages but is generally for people who like to be trendy and are willing to pay extra to look cool.
Ditto I also own a Bolt and
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In reply to I'm tired of reviewers by Raegar (not verified)
Ditto I also own a Bolt and have no issues with the interior and the seats. Both of my wife and I travel at least 120 miles in it on weekends. with no issues. We both have back problems. The heated steering wheel and seats are great.
I bought the Bolt EV on May
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I bought the Bolt EV on May 15 2019. It currently has 17,885 happy contented miles . Only issue was reaw mirror camera, completely replaced by my local Chevy dealer at no charge. They also provided a loaner. It is a little tank in the snow and while it looses range in the winter I've never run out of juice. Reason I bought it. Model 3 was close to 18k more. . Kona and Kia not offered for sale in Illinois. Yes, I don't have superchargers, but just over 2k Chevy dealers willing to charge on the road, 14-50 nema plugs in just about every campground in the US. Example Travelled 190 miles to Wi. Stayed at a campground gave the owner $3.00 for use of a 14-50nema plug where I plugged my Bolt to. Stayed at a very nice and quiet cabin. Woke up in the AM and car was fully charged. went sight seeing next day and made it back home. I save an average of $400 a month in gas plus all the bS maintenance. At 70 this is my 1st electric car. I like the idea of not having to look at a screen. I don't mind driving and being in control of the vehicle. I like having a roof and what is most important my wife and I both enjoy driving. My Red Rocket reminds me of the 1972 VW Beetle and My wife's Gremlin in it has brought back the fun in driving. It is not so little either we have sat 5 adults in it with no problem. All I have to say about it is (not being sexist here.) Stop advertising horsepower or torque this and that. Cost is what matters the most. 88% of the time most of us charge at home. (Just like a cell phone). about 6 cents per killowatt hour. for using off peak. Maintenance has been non existent. My only advise being an old fart is as follows to women mostly and it comes from the most independent capable woman I love and know "The Bolt is like the man you want in your life DEPENDABLE AND LOW MAINTENANCE." Would probably buy the Cybertruck, but I only have a 20ft garage. If they would only make it the length of the Ford Ranger 2019, but dream on. It would be perfect for my towing my small trailer. No I won't buy a Rivian too big. Hopefully Ford will offer the Electric Ranger again.
New owner of a 2019 Bolt EV
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New owner of a 2019 Bolt EV Premier looking for insight and any hacks on this product to extend range/ charge time or performance overall.
[email protected] njkzifunoge
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[email protected]
njkzifunoge