I first got to test drive the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt during this year’s Vancouver Auto Show. Then it was only a quick lap around the block, not really parking or driving on the highway. Not enough to get a feel and be able to make an informed decision, if looking to purchase.
Therefore I was excited to be reunited with the Bolt and to be able to have it as my daily driver for the week.
Crawling in was like learning to drive again. Comparing it to other vehicles in its segment, there are many details that make the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt unique, which also results in a learning curve.
To start you need not unlock with the fob, approaching the front driver side unlocks the vehicle, and you need only hold down the button on the handle to open and let yourself in. Then being seated in the driver’s seat with the fob is all you need to start the car. No button, no stepping on the gas. Intuitive, much like its many other features below.
There are specific instructions on how to sync your device, which requires signing up and logging in under a specific email. Ironically, this isn’t as intuitive as plugging in a cable and your phone. And this I knew and would have entertained and completed, had I been given more time with the Bolt. Instead, I relied on and was happy enough with just being able to sync my music to the car’s speakers via Bluetooth. I didn’t get the map from my phone’s GPS, but being able to hear the voice providing directions was enough to get me to where I was going.
The only real difficulty that I had with the Bolt was the charging. First it only came with a level one adapter, which meant I was bound to the slowest charging stations. The ones that take 1 hour for 5-6% and you only get up to two hours with the outlet at a time. Secondly, even with that I wasn’t able to get the Bolt to charge for more than 2/3 of the week. I had to contact the manufacturer with videos of me plugging the car in and despite the station showing calculated charge time, the EV did not actually take any of it. Thankfully, despite the clocking ticking, because there was no juice given I was not charged anything. The mystery as to why it wasn’t charging was so deep that I even tried 4 different pumps from 2 different brands and contacted their customer services to make sure that there pumps were indeed working.
After 5 days of struggling and additional back and forth emails and phone calls on my end, I figured it out. I was informed that the plug has to be bound to the adapter in order for charging to take place and that there should be a loud beep to confirm. What I ended up having to do was plug the car in, walk to an area where there is reception to login to the app and begin the charge process and when the screen read “not charging”, head back to the car and push the plug up and in and hold it there for at least 5 seconds. If done correctly there would be two shrill beeps and the light at the centre of the windshield will start to pulse green, the screen behind the wheel will also pull up the current battery life and give an approximate time for when full 100% charging would be completed. If it is not working the light would blink red or blue.
The plug was not locked into place and you did not need to unlock the vehicle or push a button to release it. Just pulling it out would free it from the adapter. I typically charge any of my EV loans at my local gym so am often using the same pumps, therefore with great confidence I can say that this has never happened to me before. I have never had to work so hard to charge any other EV, and only to get so little in return.
Although I was impressed by how long the Bolt kept its charge. Despite a week of not being able to charge it daily for reasonable and convenient charging, I was still above 50% before I finally got things to work. This is thanks in part to its smaller size with less to haul, and the fact that it easily charges when coasting down hill and slowing pulling to a stop.
The gear shifter is located to the right of the wheel, where you would normally toggle for windshield wipers. This was displaced to the right side, alongside the right and left turn signals. But instead of pulling it up or down you push the button at the end of the toggle bar and scroll on the bar for desired wind shield wiping speed. Once again this took a couple of days to become a habit.
I never got a handle on the gear shifter and had to look down to confirm I was moving it in the right direction. Forward and up for drive. Back and down for reverse. The pictograms helped.
My favourite feature was the vibrating seats, instead of chimes and chirps to indicate proximity to walls and barriers, your driver seat rumbled, like a phone on vibrate. And if you didn’t heed its warning, the car just stopped on its own to protect itself.
I also appreciated the intuitive temperature control, which helped with this week’s variety of weather. On colder days, I walked into the Chevrolet Bolt and the seat and wheel were already heated. Then on hot days and the cabin was stuffy, the seat would be set to cool, and the air-conditioning was already blowing. It felt like I had a personal car concierge.
The cabin was smaller, but well compartmentalized. There were 18 sectioned off bins and pockets to store and make available whatever you need. Shelves with rubber mats, deep buckets, and a cupholder that has the ability to remove and adjust its walls for a perfect fit.
I also liked the dull glow of the superman blue interior lights. I couldn’t figure out how to change the colour, so don’t know if it is even possible.
Overall it was an easy to drive, thoughtful compact electric vehicle. With parts where it felt like it was trying to be different for the sake of being different, but it worked because it stood out for me.
