The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV gets sliding sun visors for the driver and front passenger and an automatic heated steering wheel that’s standard on the Premier trim and part of the optional Comfort and Convenience package in the base LT model. The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a front-drive compact all-electric hatchback available in two trim levels.
Bolt EV Premier: Moving up to the Premier trim adds roof rails, leather upholstery, a 360-degree view camera system, a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, heated front and rear seats, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Notable options include a seven-speaker Bose audio system, a wireless charger, and two additional USB charging ports for rear passengers.
The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV is powered by an electric motor with 200 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque backed by a single-speed transmission and a 60-kWh lithium-ion battery. On a single charge, the 2018 Bolt EV can travel up to 238 miles according to the EPA.
On a standard level 1 charger (a household outlet) the 2018 Bolt EV can regain 4 miles of range per hour. A level 2 charger will allow the car to fully charge from empty in a little over 9 hours while a level 3 DC fast charger allows it to gain up to 90 miles of range in 30 minutes.
Interior Features
The Bolt EV comes standard with single-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, proximity keyless entry, a rearview camera, and the Teen Driver safety system. Elements of its infotainment system include the Chevrolet MyLink interface, a 10.2-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice recognition, OnStar with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot, satellite radio, Bluetooth, two front USB inputs, and six speakers.
Among the available interior options is a seven-speaker Bose sound system, dual USB ports for rear passengers, wireless charging for enabled smartphones, the 360-degree Surround Vision camera system, a rear camera mirror, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors, low speed forward automatic braking, forward collision warning, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, following distance indicator, and automatic high beams.
The Bolt EV’s infotainment system comes with an appealing amount of features. The standard screen size is larger than most, at 10.2 inches. It presents a straightforward series of menus. The system also makes it easy for users to stay connected via the advanced smartphone integration and high-speed internet access.
Safety
The NHTSA and IIHS haven’t crash-tested the 2018 Bolt EV. In IIHS testing, the 2017 Bolt EV received a Good score on all crash tests except for the headlights test where it got a Poor rating and the passenger’s side small front overlap test where it hasn’t been tested (Good is the highest possible score). The 2017 model also received a Superior rating on the front crash prevention test after it avoided a 12- and a 25-mph collisions (Superior is the highest rating on the front crash prevention test). As a result, the 2017 Bolt EV received the Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.
Lane change assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert are available on the base LT trim as part of the Driver Confidence package and are standard on the Premier trim. The Driver Confidence II package, which is only available on the Premier trim, adds lane keeping assist, forward collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, and a following distance indicator.