Motor1.com Delivers Industry's First Bolt EUV Crossover Spy Shots

For so many in the auto industry including us here at West Chevy of Knoxville, there is an extreme focus on electric vehicles as the tone of the future is set to mesh with that of the present. The compact Bolt is slated to be joined by a slightly larger model in the lineup. Caught here on camera for the first time by Motor1.com, we can see clearly what will become the Bolt EUV, or Electric Utility Vehicle. This prototype was cloaked during these early stages with heavy camouflage front and rear to hide the coming facelift as well as its design.

We can see that the crossover holds on to the Bolt's short, stubby nose, and the up-kink in the beltline at the C-pillar looks like traditional Bolt styling as well. Most of the C-pillar is hidden under the camo, but it is also suspected that the Bolt's floating roof design is cloaked under the tarps. At the rear you can make out that the placeholder lights are still there, suggesting it may be a prototype in the early stages of development. Many customers are excited about the coming of this crossover that will be ideal for the urban dweller and should brandish a predicted driving range of about 400 miles on a charge.

Even with the presence of the camouflage here, we are not completely in the dark as to what this new EV crossover will look like. Earlier this year crosstown rival Buick Velite 7 was put on display for the Chinese market, and there may be a few design similarities between the two. It will have a wheelbase three inches longer than the standard Bolt and measure five inches longer overall. This will also be the first non-Cadillac model to obtain Super Cruise, but it will not yet receive GM's brand-new Utium battery tech.

The new Bolt model will likely be compatible with Level 2 fast charging and should probably debut by the end of the year. Impressions from some people who got a peek at GM's big EV event though that it bared a bit of resemblance to the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach-E. There is a push-button gearshift, new seats, and lots of soft-touch materials, including a padded dashboard with leather-like material covering it.

The standard version will have a 400-volt battery pack and up to 200 kw fast-charging capability, and the version for the truck platform will be 800 volts and support 350 kw charging. Battery packs on board will feature pouch-like cells that engineers will be able to stack horizontally or vertically within the pack, and will allow for a modular layout that sees potential for more customized setup for each product. The steering wheel features a sportier design, and the instrument-panel design has been given a more cleaned-up appearance in the climate control zone and infotainment offerings.

Inside EVs Renders 2020 Chevy Bolt as “The Most Affordable and Compelling EV Option”

Over the past week, a solid video was making the rounds that showcased the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV and had a lot of fantastic things to say about it! Joe Raiti is the host of “Raiti's Rides”, and was very young when he full-on caught the car bug. Growing up watching his dad work on various makes and models, he quickly learned to have a sense of the complex inner parts and function of the internal combustion engine. He was a professional formula car racer for three years and is a renowned expert when it comes to Porsches and our very own beloved Corvette.

In the video, he is going over the fine points of a 2020 Bolt with Premier trim, and wants to answer questions for those out there wondering: is the Bolt the most bang currently out there for your buck, and the most versatile EV out there? He takes a step back in time to remember our very first “EV1”, before the Volt. He also admits that Tesla was the “Apple” style brand in the sea of electric completion, but that one thing he loved about the Volt was the fact that it had a gas-powered generator to quell anyone with serious range anxiety, a very important trait for a pioneering model.

The host is alert and future-savvy: he can't hide his excitement when he announces that the 2020 Bolt is fully electric, no generator or any other way of generating power besides regenerative braking is at play. He bills the styling as very unique as he looks at the front, with full LED projector beam-style headlights and daytime running lamps. As you look deeper into the headlights they are now all blacked out inside with a bit of silver trim, giving it a nice dose of flair.

The grille has also been redesigned, and this maestro of sorts who loves high-octane thrill machines such as the Camaro and Corvette approves of the nice blacked-out look as well as the brand-new high-def forward-facing camera situated underneath. Even though there is not any storage underneath the hood is there is in some other EVs, Joe appreciated the way the Bolt is made up because you can pop the hood and clearly see what you are working with underneath.

He then offers a very close-up look at the 17-inch wheels that are machine aluminum and gloss black, and you see that the wheel design aesthetically goes well with the rest of the car's appearance. The plug-in spot for the charger is directly at around the one-o-clock position above the driver's side front tire, and the chrome trim above it flows towards the side mirror and then stops, which Joe also thought looked smart. Also of note that will gain much approval are the roof rails on top: you could easily mount the extra equipment to carry anything like a bike or kayak if needed.

All of us here at West Chevy of Knoxville would most likely agree that one of the prime areas that the Bolt has been winning in is range: every year there is a new model on the scene, the driver will be going further without a charge, no questions asked. This was part of the allure and magic of electrification to begin with, and if a commuter is driving 15 miles a day, they can last an entire week since the mile range is now over 250! In fact, at 15 miles a day you would last two weeks  without the need for a charge. From a 210-volt outlet, the charging time is around 9 hours, perfect for any overnight to be fully juiced in the morning and ready to roll.

Chevy Bolt Scores Tops in Consumer Reports' Electric-Vehicle Range Record

Knoxville is one of those special places rich with history, and chock full of landmarks that were some of the strongest building blocks that exist within the American legacy. When you have made the choice about which new auto suits you and your family best, you can pile in and see monumental landmarks such as the East Tennessee History Center: built in 1874, it was originally the first United States Custom House and Post Office. Also one of the first places in Knoxville to be named to the National Register of Historic Places, it was renovated to its current condition in 1992. Since this city has such a rich array of things to see and do, you're going to want a vehicle that is very capable when it comes to going the distance.

Just a few short years ago, the entire electric car idea had not arrived in fully-finished format, as the more reputable and solidly-backed entity it is now. This milestone vehicle has set the mark for all-electric vehicle range in Consumer Reports' testing, with the accomplishment of a 250-mile distance on just one charge. In a completely different instance with a head-to-head scenario, the bolt out-performed the Tesla model S 75D by 15 miles on its charge. To properly put an automobile to the test, you really have to cover multiple bases, and the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center is located in rural Connecticut, where the turning of summer to fall will soon provide some very scenic terrain to charge haplessly through.

The cars team tests around 60 vehicles annually, driving them a collective total of around 900,000 miles. A full-time staff of around 30 hard-working professionals keeps the test center afloat, and many editors, technicians, photographers, and engineers get the opportunity to weigh in with their expertise. Last year alone, the team spent over $2 million to buy cars, so they could make sure to maintain varying levels of independence as far as really laying down the law and getting to know the quirks of a car. A straight section, 3,500-foot handling course, accident-avoidance course, 33-percent rock hill, and brake-test straightaway with wet and dry pavement are all on hand to evaluate ride performance and comfort.

As far as routine handling, the testers judge this parameter with a lengthy one-day trip, that consists of a network of local roads that range from a smooth highway to secondary two-lane roads, with rural patches for good measure as well. Trained engineers assess how well the car deals with various curves in the roads, and the vehicle's turning circle is measured by technicians for ease of parking and maneuverability when located in tighter-than-usual spaces.

If you come pay us a visit down here on the lot at West Chevy, we'll give you the low down scoop on what is truly the world's first affordable long-range, all-electric car. Doing zero to sixty in about six and a half seconds, this is a ride that has been billed as even “smoother than the BMW I3”, and the new Bolt is capable of getting any family around perfectly, minus the gasoline factor!

GM Looks Towards the Best and Brightest To Construct Self-Driving Chevy Bolts

Here in Knoxville, it's fully recognized that we have prided ourselves on the traditions of southern America to add to our distinctive charm, and that doing business here doesn't feel the same as it does in Manhattan. Buying a car here doesn't feel the same as it does in Manhattan either: we pride ourselves on listening to a customer's needs, following through consistently, and still sealing things up with a handshake. With all of these mannerisms in mind, it can be a bit of a stretch sometimes to grapple with the pace of the oncoming future, but we are choosing to embrace it with excitement. GM announced recently that it is searching high and low among the best and brightest, in an attempt to complete a lofty project: the construction of a self-driving Chevy Bolt within the next three years.

Very qualified teams from Virginia Tech, the University of Waterloo, Kettering University, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, the University of Toronto, Texas A&M, and North Carolina A&T have been selected to weigh in on how to get the job done. The current goal is to do whatever it takes to load up the Chevy Bolt EV with the fixins that it needs to take the lunge and go driverless. It was announced late last year that some of the most amazing young minds in the nation would be used to solve the problems that involved the most precision, and next Spring, the teams are going to try and meet a deadline of seeing to it that the car can do a straight line minus the driver.

Objectives such as sensor calibration and algorithm design try and pin down the most intelligent and efficient way to get the job done, and embrace future technology. Two years ago, the ride-sharing household name Uber partnered with Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, acknowledging just how valuable these young prodigies can be in the role of auto technology development. We realize that having 8 of these versatile think tanks at their fingertips is more than likely going to give them the raw talent that they need to get the job done.

With a 1.5L direct-injected high-efficiency engine, Volt is a very ingenious electric vehicle that runs with an excellent backup plan. While running on electric charge, it generates additional energy with a gas-powered generator if the battery happens to run low, which gives the driver confidence for a bit more in the distance department. The innovative Power Flow screen gives you many different ways to track your driving, and the Regen on Demand allocation system does an impeccable job of gaining motion from the vehicle itself and using it to keep the battery at optimum power. The Volt recharges itself with a 120-volt portable cord, and does the deed in just over 12 hours, while you're working on a good night's rest and winding down at home. It will be interesting to see just what advances this team of intelligent individuals will come up with, and we think that the 3-year window will fly by pretty quickly. It's already evident that plans for cars to be driverless are taking great strides, and the future will soon be pleasantly upon us.