With a lower starting price, more attractive styling, and enhanced charging capabilities, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV is an enticing option for buyers considering the switch to an electric vehicle (EV).
Chevrolet’s Bolt EV is refreshed for 2022, not redesigned. As such, it continues in its original 5-door, 5-passenger configuration. The small electric car comes in 1LT and 2LT trim levels, each featuring a maximum driving range of 259 miles.
If you need something with more passenger space, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is a more appealing alternative. It is a slightly larger version of the Bolt EV with more standard features and rear-seat space, but travels slightly fewer miles on a full battery.
In silhouette, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV appears largely unchanged, but take a look at the front end and you’ll see where designers directed the bulk of their attention.
In place of the 2021 model’s rather generic face is a more modern look, highlighted by LED daytime running lights, LED headlights integrated into the outer portions of the bumper, and a large honeycomb grille insert with a metallic finish.
In back, the taillights and rear bumper are new, and both ends of the Bolt EV feature black bowtie badges. Other, more subtle updates include the use of less chrome trim and redesigned alloy wheels.
As with its exterior, the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV’s interior gets a handful of enhancements that should please potential buyers.
In place of the previous model’s two-tone design, a more attractive dashboard with what appears to be higher-quality, soft-touch materials and a combination of aluminum and chrome accents gives the Bolt EV an improved appearance. A large center-mounted infotainment screen remains, but the previous assortment of climate-control dials and knobs are replaced by a simple collection of buttons.
Elsewhere, you’ll see a new flat-bottom steering wheel and a completely redesigned center console. Notably, the traditional transmission shifter is gone, replaced by buttons the driver uses to select gears.
In terms of specifications, the 2022 Bolt EV’s electric powertrain is a direct carryover from last year. The car still uses a permanent magnetic drive motor to power the front wheels, with total output measuring 200 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque. A 65-kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides the electricity to keep things moving.
The 2022 Bolt EV can travel up to a Chevrolet-estimated 259 miles on a full charge. A newly available Dual Level Charge Cord with interchangeable 120- and 240-volt plugs allows users to recharge based on the available power source.
What’s more, Chevrolet claims it will cover the costs of installing a Level 2 240-volt outlet in the buyer’s home (some restrictions apply). This type of setup can handle up to 7.2 kilowatts of power and can recoup 25 miles of range for every hour of charging. This means the Bolt EV can fully recharge overnight.
For those with less time to spare, the 2022 Bolt EV accommodates 11-kW Level 2 public charging, or drivers can use one of a growing number of DC fast chargers that will replenish up to 100 miles of range in only 30 minutes. Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors (GM), and EVgo have partnered to add 2,700 of these high-speed chargers across the country by 2025.
Of course, maintaining battery power is the best way to avoid potentially lengthy stops to recharge. To that end, the Bolt EV offers Regen on Demand to capture braking energy and use it to recharge the battery pack, while a new One Pedal Driving feature uses the accelerator to increase and decrease speed – to a full stop if you’re able to plan ahead – in an effort to maximize battery efficiency.
Every 2022 Bolt EV has forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high-beam headlights. A high-definition backup camera is also standard equipment. Upgrade to the Bolt EV 2LT (priced from $35,195) and Chevrolet adds a blind-spot warning system, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and rear parking sensors.
Visually, the Bolt EV’s reimagined 10.2-inch touchscreen display and its surround controls is the most obvious infotainment upgrade, but shoppers may be more interested to learn that the 2022 model now features standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Additionally, you can install an Alexa digital assistant app and use it in a seemingly endless variety of ways, from selecting in-car music to turning the lights on inside your house before you arrive home.
A wireless phone charger option is also new for 2022, but perhaps more significant is the technology related to making life with the Bolt easier. The myChevrolet smartphone app directs drivers to more than 80,000 charging stations nationwide, and can adjust travel routes to make the best use of the battery’s available power.
Car buyers can expect an onslaught of electric vehicles to enter the marketplace in the near future, with GM and Ford just two of the automakers spending billions of dollars on EV development.
But, for now, the Chevrolet Bolt EV’s main competitors are established models you may recognize. The oldest of the bunch is the Nissan Leaf, with more recent entrants including the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV. Those newer rivals are impressive, more expensive vehicles, though they’re eligible for up to $7,500 in federal income tax credits. The 2022 Bolt EV is ineligible, but by lowering its base price by thousands of dollars, Chevrolet hopes to make that a moot point.
Then again, the greatest threat to the refreshed Bolt EV may be Chevy’s own 2022 Bolt EUV, which boasts similar style and efficiency with additional features and extra interior space.
Chevrolet is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of February 15, 2021, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker’s website or your local dealership.
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