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I drove a $44,000 Chevy Bolt for a weekend and saw just how far electric cars have come — but I also discovered a glaring problem by Mark Matousek on Aug 28, 2018, 11:52 AM 
- I drove a Chevrolet Bolt EV for a weekend at the end of July.
- The version I drove cost $43,905. The base price for the Bolt's standard trim is $37,495.
- It was the first time I'd driven an electric vehicle in real-world conditions for more than an hour.
- I was impressed with the Bolt's ride quality, acceleration, handling, and driver assistance features.
- But when I tried to charge the vehicle, I realized the limitations of our current charging infrastructure.
When General Motors' Chevrolet Bolt EV was released in late 2016, it was billed as the car that would take electric vehicles mainstream.
One of the biggest obstacles to widespread electric vehicle adoption has been range anxiety. If an electric car can't handle a commute to work and a couple of errands without approaching an empty battery, it's difficult for consumers to rely on it as an everyday vehicle. With a $37,495 price tag (before a $7,500 tax credit) and 238-mile range, the Bolt was the first non-luxury electric vehicle to allow for over 200 miles of driving per charge, beating Tesla's Model 3 to market by seven months. (Though Tesla has yet to deliver the $35,000 base version of the vehicle.) But the Bolt was more than a PR stunt. Car reviewers praised the vehicle, with Business Insider's Matthew DeBord calling it a "masterpiece" and Motor Trend naming it the best car of 2017. I spent a weekend with the Bolt in July — my first experience driving an electric vehicle in real-world conditions for more than an hour — and understood the hype. But during my weekend with the vehicle, it became clear that range is not the final challenge electric vehicles face before they can begin to take a significant share of the auto market. (EVs currently account for around 1% of global auto sales.) Because, unless you have the ability to charge an EV at your home, apartment, or workplace, using one as your primary vehicle can create significant challenges. And even if you do have frequent, convenient access to a charger, taking a road trip, particularly if you don't own a Tesla, presents serious logistical challenges. Here's what I thought about my first extended trial with an electric vehicle. SEE ALSO: 30 electric cars you'll see on the road by 2025 I drove a 2018 Chevy Bolt Premier that was outfitted with a little over $2,000 worth of extra options.  The Premier is the Bolt's premium trim. It adds roof rails, heated seats, and a number of driver assistance features to the standard version. The Bolt I drove also had fast-charging capability and extra tech features like wireless charging, a premium Bose speaker system, and USB ports in the backseat.
The version I drove cost $43,905. The base price for the Bolt's standard trim is $37,495.  Unlike a Tesla, a premium Bolt doesn't have more range than the base version. Both have an Environmental Protection Agency-tested range of 238 miles. When I first got in the Bolt, it estimated I would have around 260 miles of range. When I returned the vehicle, I had driven 198 miles and had an estimated 55 miles of range left.
Unlike GM's first fully-electric vehicle, the EV-1, the Bolt's exterior resembles that of a gas-powered car.  The EV-1 was introduced in 1996 and featured a small roof that gave it a triangle-shaped profile. In addition, the back wheel wells were covered, an unconventional design choice that heightened the asymmetry between the car's front and back halves. The Bolt, by contrast, resembles gas-powered sub-compact hatchbacks like the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta, but with a shorter hood and more pronounced contour lines. It also avoids any unusual exterior design features that would clearly mark it as an electric vehicle.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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