Used 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV Hatchback Consumer Reviews
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
BEST ELECTRICAL VEHICLE VALUE
On May 21st, I purchased my first electric vehicle, a red Chevy Bolt and have driven about 400 miles thus far. After doing considerable research I narrowed all the options down to two choices. The Kia EV6 was my first choice and the Chevy Bolt was my second more practical choice. After consulting various dealerships, the difference in cost is what persuaded me. Out the door, the EV6 would cost over $60K and the Bolt costed approximately $40K. BUYING EXPERIENCE My experience was all EVs were selling fast and getting more expensive. In fact, the day that I arrived at the dealer, five new Bolts had just arrived and 3 of them were sold that same day. I wanted the Red Color in the 1LT trim and bought one even if it did not have all the bells and whistles. It still comes with lots of great standard features. I have been making use of the lane keep assist functionality. I read that Chevy lowered the price $6,000 for the 2023 model, which is AMAZING! I highly recommend reading the manual in order to familiarize oneself with all the instrument cluster icons, `infotainment features, and safety guidelines of this vehicle. There is a lot of information to digest. APPEARANCE I LOVE my car! There are few electric vehicles or hybrids that I find easy on the eyes and I need to like the way that my vehicle looks. AMBIENCE The visibility in all four quadrants (front, sides, back) is excellent. The buttons to control radio volume, air-conditioning, and other accessories are generally where you would expect them as opposed to a central screen that forces you to take your eyes off the road. It has plenty of room for trinkets and four cupholders (two front, two back). It has a USB A and USB C charging port for one’s devices. It seats 4 adults comfortably, 5 may be a bit of a squeeze. Rear legroom and headroom are good. Unfortunately, there are no rear passenger air vents so it may take a little longer for temperatures in the rear seats to become comfortable in the summer and winters. The seats are very comfortable. There is much more room inside than one would anticipate at first glance. One also sits higher off the ground than they might expect. It does not feel cheap. When one closes the car doors, they feel substantial. CARGO SPACE I do not have measurements in cubic feet but I find it be adequate but on the small side. There also is no frunk. Like most EVs, there is no spare tire. CHARGING It takes about 7 hours with a Level 2 (240 V) charger to charge the battery from empty to full. At a glance there is a light on the upper dashboard that will blink green when the car is charging or turn solid green when the car is fully charged. The frequency of the blinking light provides an indication of the battery charge level. DRIVING It is so quiet at startup, sometimes I'm not quite sure if it is on. I am happy with the audio system and love the wide backup camera view. It accelerates very nicely. The ride is very smooth. The Bolt can recover energy either via a paddle shifter on the steering column, depressing the brake pedal, or selecting One Pedal Driving Mode. As the name implies, depressing the accelerator pedal will cause the vehicle to accelerate while relaxing the pressure on the pedal will cause the car to decelerate as if one were pressing on the brake. One Pedal driving Mode takes a little getting use to but it feels very natural now and is what I typically use. The paddle shifters is a bit more aggressive in slowing the car down than One Pedal Driving. There also is Sport Mode which makes the car even more responsive at the expense of battery endurance. Thus far, I’ve found Normal mode to be quite sufficient. FREEWAY DRIVING Merging onto the freeway is not a problem at all. With the instantaneous torque, there is little need to push the pedal to the floor besides the fun factor. At this point in time, EVs are lacking in range compared to their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. It has an advertised range of about 260 miles but this can vary up or down based on a number of factors. On the freeway, it is best to drive the Bolt close to the speed limit in order to maximize efficiency and range. The Bolt is most efficient at 55 mph and tends to become less efficient starting around 70 mph. I read that the max speed is 93 mph but driving at these higher speeds for a prolonged period of time will quickly drain the battery. The fastest that I have driven is 80 mph and the car accelerated smoothly and felt solid at this speed. This was not an attempt to ‘max it out’ but rather I was late for an appointment and it is common for the flow of traffic on the freeway to be around 75-85 mph. GENERAL EV ADVICE 1) Have a game plan for how you will charge your vehicle. The ideal solution would be for your home to have solar panels and your own Level 2 charger. 2) Projected EV range is sensitive and is affected by your climate control settings within the car, external temperature (cold is worse than hot) and winds, terrain type (hills vs. level ground), and speed driven.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
A Bolt from the Blue
The new Bolt EV lives up to its billing. It is comfortable, nimble, and beautiful. Mine is a new color for the year, Ice Blue metallic. The 2022 Bolt retains all the good features of previous years while fixing or updating previous years' features or problems. The cockpit, especially the dashboard, has a cleaner, unified look built around a larger central screen. The confusing "shifter" has been replaced by simple paddle buttons recessed into the center console. Audio volume controls are surprisingly banished to the back side of the steering wheel where the fingers easily find and use them while never seeing them! The steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, which makes entering and leaving the vehicle easier. All the comfort and auxiliary functions are collected in a modest row of paddle switches below the screen. Charging routinely yields an indicated 268 potential miles. Gratifyingly, at non-interstate speeds and around town, the indicated miles turn out to be real, although obviously interstate driving can gobble up those potential miles. In all, the 2022 Bolt is a big car on the inside and a small car on the outside. It's really fun to drive, especially in S mode, which replaces the previous Low mode, allowing One-Pedal driving; in hilly terrain, it's a joy to see the miles expended going uphill being returned numerically to the potential miles!
- 2LT 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $21,998In-stock online
- 2LT 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $21,998In-stock online
- 2LT 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $21,998In-stock online
Fun Little Package!
I have had this car for a little over a month now and have to say that I really do enjoy it! I traded in a 2016 Volvo S60, which I loved, for this Chevy Bolt. I was looking to get away from the VERY expensive maintenance costs that European vehicles have. It is definitely not a sexy car, but when you're buying an EV, I don't necessarily know if sexy is the look you're going for: it's par for the course. A nice bonus I have enjoyed has been the $500 EVGo credits that Chevy gives you if you opt out of the Level2 charger installed in your home. I don't have a house, so the charge credits were the obvious answer for me. I have not had to put any money into charging it since it doesn't cost too much to charge. Again, I have had the vehicle for a little over a month and I still have almost $480 credits--and that's with 2 out-of-town trips! There are some minor build quality issues--nothing too crazy, just things I have noticed coming from a luxury car. For example, the glossy black acrylic they have on the paneling in the car is a magnet for dust and scratches. The car is a lot of fun to drive and a breeze park--especially with the 360 degree camera. I live in downtown Omaha, Nebraska and haven't had a single issue finding somewhere to charge my car. I am just curious to see how it fares in the colder, snowy weather. If you are looking for an inexpensive, decently appointed EV, I think the Bolt deserves serious consideration. The only other EV I have driven was a Tesla Model 3, but I think the driving experience was similar--especially with the one pedal driving. The interior is very spacious, so unless you're hauling lumber, it should suit most drivers' needs. If you're curious, give it a go! I don't think I can go back to a gas-powered vehicle after this.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Lasted only 5 months - LEMON!
Bought this Bolt EV in June, 2023 with only 5400 miles on it. Comfy seats, fun to drive, great EV range and loved the cargo storage. In November (9600 miles), the steering started locking up. Dealer says it needs a new steering column (at less than 10,000 miles!!). None in stock, nationwide part shortage, no ETA on parts - has been sitting at dealership for two months now. Planning to file a Lemon Law claim and avoid GM cars in the future.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Full electric now!
been driving a Fiat500 pop and aFiat500e, using the electric around town and the gas for trips. I am 55 miles from a gas station in Death Valley. This was to find out if electric car was feasible. And oh yeah it is! I now have only one car and it will get to Vegas and back on a charge, will never see me at a gas station again. The car can be set for 8 amps or up to 12 based on the 110 charger. The one from chevy is 11.5 and my old after market is 8.5 they both work and the 11.5 is a lot faster but not really necessary. I can do 90 miles a day 5 days a week no problem on the 8.5 and I don't plug the car in till its been in the garage for at least an hour to cool. ( Its still summer and 120+ right now ) . This is way better then I expected and it will charge even faster once it cools off. the difference between a 2017 electric car and a 2022 is just amazing I really like this car it drives so smooth even on dirt roads.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value