Car and Driver recently acquired a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV to see just how much range they could squeeze out of its new, more energy-dense lithium-ion battery pack.
For this test, the publication went to one of the most brutal environments on planet earth: Death Valley. Not only would Death Valley’s high temperatures test the car’s operating efficiency, the route the editors picked would see them traverse the road up to California’s Whitney Portal – which sits 8,374 feet above sea level.
Car and Driver also planned to make a return trip from the 134-mile journey, giving the magazine editors a total trip distance of 268 miles. The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV has an estimated range of 258 miles, so while completing this journey on a single charge is possible – it would require some delicate driving and careful attention to the battery capacity.
Not surprisingly, the route sapped energy from the Bolt EV as it climbed the hill to Whitney Portal, but the editors were able to regain some of that lost battery capacity by using the vehicle’s regenerative braking feature on their way back down.
The car showed 75 miles of range left when they reached the turnaround point at Whitney Portal, but with the majority of the journey back being downhill, they were still able to make it home on a single charge. Car and Driver lauded the Bolt EV’s regenerative braking feature for this performance, saying the system harvests energy at a remarkable rate. At one point, it added 30 miles of range to the battery in just nine miles of downhill coasting.
In short, the Bolt EV impressed Car and Driver during this rather punishing road test and was able to complete a 268 mile journey on a single charge with relative ease. Head on over to Car and Driver to read their complete impressions on the car and find out what’s required to squeeze this much range out of a Bolt EV.
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Source: Car and Driver
Comments
It would be nice if they would take it on a 200+ mile trek across upper Michigan in January just to compare cold weather performance.
In 2015, just coming off a bad (financial) divorce and with money being very tight, I somehow ended up with a 2015 Chevy Spark Electric 1LT in “electric blue”. It really was a filler for a bad time with the finances and they were offering those cars at a really attractive lease. So I ended up with one. The funny thing is, that car ended up being one of my favorite cars I’ve ever owned! Most of my driving is city and in LA area to boot, so the electric is attractive there. I can’t tell you how much i absolutely loved driving past the fuel stations. The “range” on that car was about 90 miles, but there were times I’d go two weeks without charging it once. The highest range I ever got was around 120 miles. But there were also the times where I was lucky to get 80 miles as well. It really made me a better driver (fuel economy wise), but the most fun was the look on other driver’s faces when I’d blow them away from the stop light! That was one fast little car.
An all electric isn’t what will fill my needs at this time, but I do look forward to getting back into one.
The Bolt EV has a potential to become the Toyota Corolla of the EV world. GM only needs to drop the price and add a few simple features for that to happen
“.. the editors were able to regain some of that lost battery capacity by using the vehicle’s regenerative braking feature on their way back down.” You can NEVER do this in a gasoline engine car!! Electric driving is quieter and smoother, no matter what technology the manufacturer can use on a gasoline engine! Besides, you get many other benefits:
1. Home charging while you sleep (so easy a child can do it)
2. No engine maintenance (oil, filters, plugs, belts, and more)
3. Less brake pad wear, since regeneration returns that energy to the battery instead of being emitted as heat to the atmosphere.
4. Cleaner garages (no oil or transmission fluid leaks)
5. Less coolant and fluid changes (less heat generated which ages fluids).
6. No time or money loss at shops or dealers for maintenance or repairs.
7. Much less depreciation since there are lesser moving parts to wear out.
And all these benefits will save you enough money to obtain a return on the cost difference from a gasoline engine car in five year of less. I wonder why GM doesn’t do ads promoting all these benefits to sell more Chevy Bolts and more EVs in the future. Ford has begun to promote the 2021 Mustang Mach-E online and soon we will see TV and printed ads.
“7. Much less depreciation since there are lesser moving parts to wear out.”
As the owner of a Ford Focus Electric that was purchased coming off a least for $10k (new MSRP was $42k), I’m not 100% sure about that yet. Granted, the Bolt appears to be holding on better with its longer range (and thus wider appeal), but it’s probably about average on a percentage basis compared to an ICE car.