GM Volt Forum banner

Part 1 of my first impressions of my new Bolt EV

4501 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Ladogaboy
Part 1 of my Bolt review:

Ok, here are my first impressions after driving my new Bolt EV for five days all over Fresno.

1. Ride: It has a softer, more refined feel over little road imperfections than the gen1 Volt. I can't compare it to the gen2 Volt, having never driven one. It also does a good job of absorbing larger bumps, especially considering it has a shorter wheelbase than the Volt. I have ridden in a Jeep, and felt like I was riding a bucking bronco, and while there is a hint of that on large bumps, the Bolt handles normal roads very well.

2 Handling: The oem LRR tires are understandingly less capable than today's available performance tires, but the body roll is very minimal, and short wheelbase and slightly narrower track seem to give the Bolt very good manners and it has pretty neutral handling,
with not too much of the push American cars are known for. It may do quite well as an autocross car, and I will be exploring this subject more this year, and will try to leave updates on this forum as I learn more.

3. Acceleration: Again, the oem LRR tires limit this, due to more torque available than those tires can handle in most conditions. This is not a bad thing, though, because any good set of performance tires will alleviate the problem. And, the traction control and stability control keep the situation manageable. The biggest difference between the Bolt and Volts is that the acceleration doesn't fade above 30 mph like the Volts do, which makes freeway on ramps, etc. a blast.

4. Regeneration: This is better than the Volt in all modes, 'nough
said.

End of part 1, more to come.......
1 - 4 of 18 Posts
Hi,

Thanx for the write up. I have a handful of questions informed by the Chevy Volt.
I would much appreciate your opinions.

1. Rear visibility. (Poor in the Volt)
2. Charge door. Is it just a pop open. We need to have an auto retract option? My #1 peeve with the Volt.
3. Does it default to 8 amp charging. I have L1 charging. And will continue to have L1 charging with the Bolt.
4. Does it have the same rubber dam under the bumper in front which causes annoying low clearance in the Volt?
5. What is highway speed at which the efficiency cuts out. In the Volt it is somewhere around 58 mph.
6. How effective is the defogger. The Volt is slow and not very good.
7. How does it handle when coasting in N around corners/curves/downhill. I love the Volt in N.

Apologize for the bombardment but can’t find these anywhere…
See less See more
WRT #5

I should have been clearer but all Volt drivers should know what I'm talking about.

That is the moment when that meatball on your screen starts going walkabout....
Yes. thats the very one.

I think it is more than just an estimator however. It gives real time info on brake vs regen and battery drain rate.

If the BOLT flashes into inefficient color at 40 mph that would be a notable change.
1 - 4 of 18 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top