If you follow along on my Instagram page, you probably saw that we were contacted to try out the Chevy Bolt EV for National Drive Electric week that occurred Sep 25-Oct 3rd. I had been wanting to try out cars anyway because my husband is in the market to buy a new vehicle for himself since my current one is now paid off, and what better way to decide what we want other than testing new cars for a week or two, right?
What is National Drive Electric Week?
National Drive Electric Week is a celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more. They are better for the environment, will promote local jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Their price ranges, but it’s anywhere from $36,620.
Check out plugging it in here.
My Thoughts on the Chevy Bolt EV
The Chevy Bolt is all-electric and has a cord that plugs in that looks similar to a gas nozzle on the front driver’s side which can be plugged in an electrical outlet at home. Even though it looked small from the outside when it pulled up, it was surprisingly roomy. We could fit our 2 daughters who are in car seats in the back with ample legroom for both them and us in front.
The only thing that makes this possible is losing length on trunk space. But, the depth of the trunk made up for it.
Just don’t expect to be able to pack a bunch of luggage/strollers and what have you if you have little kids and are looking into a Chevy Bolt. It’s just not possible unless you have one of those travel strollers that are lightweight and fold up small and pack the minimum. We didn’t pack the trunk to the brim, but we did use both layers of trunk space and could have packed more than we did.
I was kind of apprehensive about doing any long day trips because charging the Chevy Bolt EV takes time, anywhere from 20min to an hour at a fast charge station and about 9.5 hours charging with the 220 voltage. The max charge is 259 miles and you can get anywhere from MPGestimage: 127 city / 108 highway. I had my sights set on going to Mt. Saint Helens or the Winston Wildlife Safari but figured it would be best to do an overnight trip in case we needed to charge up to get home without having to sit somewhere for hours, which prompted our decision to head to Seaside, Oregon, one of our favorite beaches to visit as a family.
From Vancouver, WA to Seaside, Oregon is approximately 86 miles (about 1 hour and 34 minutes) so that anxiousness quickly went away since I knew we’d be able to get there and back without needing a charge if we weren’t able to get one. There was a 2nd level charging station near a hotel we weren’t staying at, but we decided to head over to the one that was listed as fast charging that was located at the outlet mall parking lot. What we didn’t know is that it only charges Teslas and not any other car so unfortunately, we didn’t get to charge it up using any of the stations, just from home, which worked out fine.
When you plug the Chevy Bolt EV in to charge with the 120v cord, there’s a sensor on the dashboard that will let you know how long you have until you get a full charge, so that was nice to be able to plan ahead to make sure our trip was a success. I only drove around town the majority of the time and plugged it in after I got back home, so it was basically always charged if I let it sit for a day.
It was so unbelievably quiet, it didn’t even feel like the car was on after pressing the push to start button. I felt like I sat up high too. My Subaru feels a little lower to the ground but it could just be my electronic seat setting. But, even the backseat sat up high so they were able to see out the window with no problem. I am 5’11 and my husband is 6’0, so we’re both tall and had no issues being comfortable.
There’s also a Chevy app that you can download for some helpful tools about the car and for charging stations nearby, etc. I didn’t get to mess with it too much since I couldn’t get it paired with the VIN number on the car.
If we were to ever get an electric car, this one would be on our list!
For more information on specs, head over to Chevrolet.
