2020 Chevy Bolt Deemed by Kelley Blue Book As “Alluring, With Excellent Extended Range”

Since electrification is an issue that sees varied opinions and is changing every day, we field all kinds of questions here at West Chevy of Knoxville about vehicles and functionality. The first question we get frequently is one that makes sense for anyone contemplating a purchase: “How far can it go?”. Some of the biggest concerns that cross the customer's mind regarding electrification are charging time, and the fantastic news of the year is that the 2020 Chevy Bolt now has an enhanced range of 259 miles, up from 238 miles in the outgoing model.

Last year's range was admittedly still impressive, and many reviews claimed that conquering the urban (or suburban) workweek would be a snap at something like an estimated 10 miles a day back and forth. As Kelley Blue Book reported this past week, the stiff competition such as the Hyundai Kona Electric was causing Chevy to know they had to up the ante in the distance war. Next year's Kia Soul EV is expected to have a range of 243 miles, while the Nissan Leaf Plus will brandish 226 miles.

This range enhancement was thanks in part to tweaking the cell chemistry of the lithium-ion battery cells, successfully nailing down the gains without having the change the actual size of the pack. Other new features for 2020 include a high-definition rear-view camera, second-generation digital rearview mirror, and better charge times in cold weather. To provide a proper demonstration of the Bolt's new range, automotive media pros were invited to drive from Tacoma, Washington, to Portland, Oregon. A direct route would have been an easy 145 miles, but the plan was shaken up a bit by a route that totaled 95 miles more than that.

The Kelley Blue Book driving team noted that during the entire trip, the manner of the Bolt was “compliant, crisp, and well-behaved”, and driving in L mode meant seldom use of the brakes. While slowing to a complete stop, the deceleration energy is allocated back into the battery, an amazing feat even by today's standards. During this trip, there were a few elements of planning that simply did not add up to a perfect expose, and some of the units had to employ the use of a DC fast-charging station in Kelso.

This trip was in NO WAY a complete fail! Some of the drivers were using the heat instead of other options, and not all of them were familiar with how you can optimize range in the Bolt. Furthermore, this was to illustrate how the car performed “under the gun”, or with only 9 miles to spare in the end. The Bolt is a fantastic choice for those who are ready to embrace the future of electrification as it meets the needs of the present, and begin the tapering down of daily gasoline dependence!