2020 Chevrolet Bolt Just Became A LOT More Competitive

Aug. 23, 2019 5:15 PM ET by Martin Bigg Technology / 7 Comments

Here's what's new.

The Chevrolet Bolt EV was introduced back in 2016 as an affordable EV with a respectable range. Since then, however, a slew of affordable EVs with better ranges have flooded the market such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV.

To combat this, Chevrolet has increased the driving range of the Bolt EV for the 2020 model year to 259 miles, up from 238 miles for the 2019 model year, an increase of 21 miles. To achieve this, Chevrolet improved the energy of the cell electrodes by making "small but impactful changes" to the cell chemistry without needing to change the physical battery pack and the way it is integrated into the vehicle structure.

Chevrolet

As well as an improved range, the 2020 Bolt will be available with new colors including Oasis Blue and Cayenne Orange Metallic, while the bright-yellow Shock color has been dropped). No other significant changes were mentioned, meaning the 2020 Bolt EV retains the same electric powertrain producing 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque.

Chevrolet

With 259 miles of range, the Bolt now offers more range than many of its direct competitors, albeit by a very small margin in the case of the Hyundai Kona Electric, which offers a range of 259 miles. It comfortably beats other rivals, however, such as the Soul EV, which has an EPA-rated range of 243 miles, while the Nissan Leaf Plus has a range of 226 miles and the Kia Niro EV will last 239 miles on a single charge. The Tesla Model 3, on the other hand, will last 240 miles in "Standard Range Plus" form.

The 2020 Bolt EV will arrive in dealerships later this year with a starting price of $37,495 including the destination charge.

Chevrolet

2020 Chevrolet Bolt Just Became A LOT More Competitive

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2020 Chevrolet Bolt Just Became A LOT More Competitive

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