Thanks to math done by people with degrees, we know that the average American spends somewhere near $2000 on gas every year. If we consider how long the average car lasts (around eleven years), then that means around $22,000 goes into the gas tank of nearly every car in America, in many cases even more than that. That’s why when people try to tell me that electric cars aren’t worth the cost, I have to correct them. Even factoring in the price of electricity, if you only own an electric vehicle for half the time it will last, the savings should more than make up for the difference in cost. If that isn’t enough to convince you to make the switch to electric, then let’s get a little more specific. Let’s talk about the 2018 Chevy Bolt.
Charge Economy and Performance
If you’ve got any preconceived notions about what electric vehicles are capable of, it may be best to leave those ideas in the past. With how fast technology advances these days it can be all too easy to let the earlier stages of development cloud your judgment of the present ones. If the Chevy Bolt is the first electric vehicle you’ve glanced at in recent years then you may be in for a nice surprise.
A full charge to the Bolt’s battery is enough to take you up to 238 miles, finally bridging the gap in range that previous electric vehicles haven’t been able to. With such advancements in technology, the Bolt is one of the most viable additions to the ever-expanding list of ways to reduce your carbon footprint. (And save some cash while you’re at it!) If that still isn’t efficient enough for you, by utilizing the Regen On Demand function you can convert the friction created while decelerating into more electricity to recharge your battery on the road.
Charging is as easy as it is with any other device when you use the available in-home charging unit, and with Location-Based Charging capabilities, you’ll be able to decide what time your car starts to charge when you plug in at home. This way, you can take advantage of scheduled electricity rates without worrying about when to plug in. DC Fast Charging stations make extreme distances possible where they once weren’t. They’re already peppered throughout the country as it is, and as the future quickly becomes the present more and more will start to appear. No matter what you’ve heard before, electric vehicles are road-trip ready right now, and only getting better.
Interior Technology
An incredibly responsive and functional 10.2-inch display comes standard in the Bolt, and the ability to split its focus between multiple features means that you can continue navigating while your co-pilot changes the music. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are both standard as well, so you can stay connected by responding to messages or using certain apps without even taking your eyes off the road. The system also tracks vehicle information so you can monitor your battery life and consumption to help optimize the efficiency of your drives.
A built-in wireless hotspot is available, because sometimes you need a stronger signal than what your smartphone can provide. You’ll be able to connect and use seven devices at once, and though we can’t imagine why you might need to use that many devices at the same time, we’re sure your passengers will appreciate the strong connection to their favorite streaming services.
The myChevrolet Mobile App allows you to stay in touch with your Bolt regardless of where you are. Don’t remember if you locked your car? The app can lock and unlock your car doors right from your phone. Need to find a charging station? It can do that too. From remote start to diagnostic information, the myChevrolet app turns your phone into a personal mobile dashboard.
Safety and Driver Assistance
The safety options available to the Bolt are on par with most modern vehicles, though with a much larger standard display pretty much any camera-related features become even more convenient. Surround vision is incredibly useful, as well as being notably better on the Bolt’s 10.2-inch screen— of course, due to a measurable increase in visibility over smaller or older systems. You can also opt for Rear Park Assist to give you even more spatial awareness, in case you’re one of the many (many) people who have trouble with parallel parking. Available Rear Cross Traffic alert can also be a helpful tool if you’re ever leaving a busy parking lot, especially in situations with low visibility. Another feature to help maintain full awareness of your surroundings, the Lane Change and Blind Zone Alert system can be invaluable to both novice and regular highway travelers.
If you have a young driver in your house then there’s a good chance that they try to borrow your car fairly often. With the Bolt, you can associate specific vehicle settings to a key fob so that you can encourage safer behavior on the road. There are a number of available options to limit the way that your kid handles your car, from speed limit to the volume of their music. It can also generate a “report card” to help identify negative driving habits so that you can convince your kid you know more than you do, which seems like a pretty important aspect of parenting.
2018 Chevy Bolt, the Future is Here
If you’re not convinced by now that cars like the Chevy Bolt are the future of the automotive industry, then we’ll have to agree to disagree. But even if you think the technology needs more refinement before you’re willing to hop on board, there’s no denying the progress electric vehicles have made in the last few years alone, and what that spells for the rest of the industry. If you ask me, the flying cars of the year 2077 won’t run on diesel, that much is clear.
