[TEST DRIVE] Chevy Bolts hum but don't wow, and are inexpensive

Industry

Published: 28 Feb. 2022, 15:27 Updated: 28 Feb. 2022, 15:34

[TEST DRIVE] Chevy Bolts hum but don't wow, and are inexpensive

Chevrolet's Bolt EV [GM KOREA]

YONGIN, Gyeonggi — If you want to get an electric vehicle (EV) but have a 35 million won ($29,000) budget, a Chevy Bolt EV might be a good option.

The latest version of the Bolt EV was originally scheduled to be introduced in Korea last year, but availability was postponed due to a recall related to vehicle fires in Bolts equipped with LG Energy Solution batteries. General Motors recalled about 70,000 Bolts last year.

The Korea JoongAng Daily recently got behind the wheel of the EV and took it for a test on a 75-kilometer (47-mile) course from The-K Hotel in southern Seoul to Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi, and back.

Equipped with a 66-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery made by LG Energy Solution, the vehicle can run 414 kilometers on a single charge.

When the reporter started the test drive, the car had a battery capacity of 286 kilometers. But when arriving back at the hotel after the test drive, the meter read 198 kilometers, down by 88 kilometers. It declined more than the actual distance of the test drive route, which was around 75 kilometers, though the reporter was running the heated seats and in-car navigation, which may have accounted for the extra electricity use.

The driver seat was adequate for the 5-feet-3-inch reporter, but the second-row seats seemed quite small for anyone much taller due to the low ceiling. The truck storage capacity is around 405 liters (107 gallons) and expands to 1,229 liters when the second-row seats are folded down.

The inside of the Bolt EV [GM KOREA]

Driving and acceleration were very smooth, while cornering and lane changing were easy. The noise was barely noticeable.

The one-pedal driving system was especially convenient as it allowed the driver to use only the accelerator pedal to accelerate and decelerate the vehicle. When easing the foot off the pedal, the car slowed down on its own and came to a complete stop.

But maybe car is a bit too simple. It seems like the vehicle doesn't offer many services that are helpful to drivers, such as warning signals when other cars are approaching or when the car is veering out of its lane. Chevrolet said the vehicle has a partially autonomous driving system, but this reporter barely felt it move itself back into the lane whenever it was veering off.

A heated seat system was not available for the second-row seats. The second-row seats lacked an air vent.

Charging speed is quite disappointing, with it taking around one hour to charge to 80 percent using a rapid charger, compared to the latest vehicles from other brands, which take around 30 minutes to get to 80 percent. Using slow chargers, it takes eight hours for the Bolts.

The EV can generate a maximum horsepower of 204 and torque of 36.7 kilogram-meters.

The cost may be the biggest advantage of the Bolt. The sticker price of Bolt EV starts at 41.3 million won, which is about 5 million won less than the previous model. Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 begins at 47 million won and Kia's EV6 46.3 million won.

Chevy Bolt EVs also receive 100 percent of the Korean government subsidy.

That allows customers in Seoul to pay only around 32 million won to purchase the EV. In cities like Daejeon and Cheongju, which offer higher subsidies, people can get the vehicle for under 30 million won.

Shipments to Korea will start in the second quarter, as early as April, the company said. The first deliveries will go to those who lodged orders last year.

The car was first introduced in Korea in 2017, and 11,917 Chevy Bolt EVs have been sold in the domestic market so far. GM Korea plans to market 10 electric models in Korea by 2025.