If you’re in the market for a smart compact car alternative to traditional gasoline-powered engines that provides amazing mileage and high tech convenience features, look no further than the 2017 Chevy Bolt in the Cincinnati, Ohio region. Introduced this year, the Bolt is a battery-powered vehicle that can travel 238 miles on a single charge.
Why has the all-new Chevy Bolt taken the market by storm? The main reason is due to its driving range on a single charge. Previous entry-level electric competitors could only achieve around 100 miles on a single charge. That was a huge hindrance for drivers who spend most of their time running errands or making short trips in their vehicle. It was even more problematic when it could take hours to fully re-charge.
Enter the Bolt. Problems with re-charging your electric vehicle? The Bolt can travel up to 90 miles on a 30-minute charge at a direct current (DC) fast-charging station. Hailed as the new benchmark for electric cars, the 2017 Chevy Bolt is a capable alternative to conventional gas-powered vehicles.
Since its introduction, Chevy Bolt sales have grown, reaching a new high of 1,642 units in the U.S. last month. All in all, Chevy has sold 7,592 units of its all-electric vehicle since the beginning of the year and just over 8,000 since its launch in December 2016.
Customers are attracted to the Bolt's spacious seating for up to five passengers, it agile driving dynamics, swift acceleration, and plenty of high-tech features. It is even moderately priced before tax incentives are factored.
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The 2017 Chevy Bolt is equipped with a 60-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and 200-horsepower electric motor, which drive the Bolt’s front wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission. It posts an impressive zero to 60 mph time of just 6.5 seconds.
The Bolt comes in two trim levels: LT and Premier. Both come with an electric motor, single-speed transmission, and front-wheel drive. The Bolt LT appeals to a wide group of customers with its large 10.2-inch touch screen, support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hot spot, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, voice recognition, two USB ports, satellite radio, proximity keyless entry, and an 8-inch driver information display with speed, distanced traveled, remaining battery charge, and other pertinent information. If you want to increase your features, two optional packages are available. The Comfort and Convenience package equips your Bolt with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Driver Confidence package adds rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alerts, blind spot monitoring, and lane change alerts.
The Bolt Premier trim provides its owners with leather upholstery, front and rear heated seats, a 360-degree parking camera system, the safety features from the LT’s Driver Confidence package, and a rearview mirror with an integrated camera feed. If you choose to add the Infotainment package, you’ll receive a wireless device charging station, a Bose audio system, and two USB ports for rear passengers. The Driver Confidence II package will equip the Bolt with high beam assists, forward collision warnings, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warnings.
Another perk for Bolt owners is tax relief. The federal government and some local governments offer big tax incentives that can help reduce the cost of buying an electric vehicle. The most notable is an up to $7,500 federal tax credit. Chevrolet Bolt buyers are apt to see this full credit for some time.
Another reason that the 2017 Chevy Bolt is so popular is its roomy interior cabin. The Bolt can seat five passengers in its comfortable and supportive seats. The rear seats are particularly appealing, especially if you are six feet or taller. They offer 36.5 inches of legroom. Depending on trim level, you’ll receive either standard cloth or leather upholstery.
For Bolt owners who have small children and infants, the Bolt is equipped with a set of LATCH child-seat connectors at each of its outboard rear seats. These include a pair of lower anchors and a single upper tether anchor; the middle seat features an upper anchor only. The lower anchors are easily accessible and can be found between the seat cushion and seatback.
While the Chevrolet Bolt is marketed as a compact vehicle, it certainly does not decrease its amount of cargo space. The Bolt offers 16.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind its rear seats and 56.6 cubic feet with them folded flat. Because the Bolt’s designers have hidden the batteries underneath its rear seats and below the passenger compartment floor, it provides the Bolt with very impressive cargo space. Plus, if you need a spot to hide your valuables, the Bolt is equipped with an available false cargo floor.
No matter who is driving your 2017 Chevy Bolt, most drivers are concerned about safety. Chevrolet engineers have added a standard rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, lane change alerts, lane departure warnings, rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alerts, a rearview mirror that displays a live camera feed, forward collision warnings with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and high beam assist, which will automatically switch to low beams when it detects another car in close proximity.
For parents of teen drivers who will want to take the wheel of the new Bolt, there’s a Teen Driver system. This system allows parents to disable certain functions, like loud volume settings for music while the teen is driving. It also gives the parents a report card of the teen’s driving habits, with information about how many times the driver went over a predetermined speed limit, or if the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems are activated.