Chevy Bolt could spark a revolution

Chevy Bolt could spark a revolution

 Chevrolet’s new Bolt electric car.

Not only is it going to have even better range than anyone expected, it’s actually fun to drive, as I found out this week when I tested a pre-production model. It’s no Tesla Model S, but that’s not bad, because it costs tens of thousands of dollars less.

Indeed, the Bolt looks like it will be the first practical EV, offering not only an affordable price, but enough range to meet most everyone’s day-to-day needs. What’s more, the car, which is due out later this year, has the chance to spark the industry, luring more people into electric vehicles while spurring manufacturers to make better ones.

“This is a good thing for the EV movement,” said Gabriel Shenhar, a Consumer Reports program manager who focuses on electric vehicles

Chevy shocked the car industry earlier this week when it announced the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated the Bolt will have a range of 238 miles on a full charge. The company had said it was planning to hit a 200-mile target, but few expected the car would go as far as the EPA says it will.

The Bolt appears to have gotten the jump on Tesla. The Palo Alto electric car maker sparked lots of excitement and garnered hundreds of thousands of reservations when it unveiled its upcoming Model 3 earlier this year. With a 215-mile range and a $35,000 price tag, that car had been poised to be the first practical electric car for the masses. But it’s not due out until next year.

After test driving the Bolt, I doubt Tesla fans will regret waiting another year for the Model 3, because the Bolt lacks some of the Model 3’s expected pizzazz. But if you’re interested in an affordable all-electric vehicle, and you want one sooner rather than later, the Bolt is easily the best on the market right now.

Its range alone puts it over the top, of course. Electric vehicles have had to contend with potential customers’ range anxiety issues for years now. Those fears tend to be overblown, because most people won’t exhaust the batteries of even the shortest-range electric cars on a daily basis.

But their curtailed range does limit how users can drive electric cars and requires them to do more planning than they would with a gasoline car. It can be more difficult for EVs to accommodate unexpected errands or an impulse trip to the countryside.

The Bolt helps to relieve the anxiety and better accommodate unexpected trips. A 238-mile range will get you from San Jose to South Lake Tahoe with a few miles to spare; it’s more than enough for the daily commuting and errand running done by the vast majority of people.

But the Bolt is attractive for more than just it range. For one thing, it’s a zippy car. Chevy says it will go from 0 to 60 in about 7 seconds. That’s not sports-car fast, but it’s plenty peppy. It’s also quiet and nimble.

Chevy is packing the Bolt with many of its latest electronics and technological advancements. It’s got a 14-inch infotainment center display and is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay. It has a built-in LTE antenna, which owners can use to create a mobile hotspot for tablets and phones. Owners will also have the option to add several semiautonomous features to the Bolt, including lane-keeping assistance technology and automatic braking.