2023 Chevy Bolt EV Review

Name: 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Review
Brand: Chevrolet

Price Range: $12,995 - $25,990

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV 2LT 4dr Hatchback Exterior Shown

The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV impressed us from the get-go with a spacious interior, engaging handling, and solid real-world all-electric range at a price that undercuts most other electric cars. Ride quality is a bit lackluster and firm, and fast-charging speeds are much slower than rivals, but we think the Bolt is well worth a look if you're searching for an affordable EV.

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Price & Payment

181 cars

$17,853 avg. price

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Appraise My Chevrolet Bolt EV

Chevrolet Bolt EV model years

2017

Chevrolet Bolt EV for Sale

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

No major changes for 2023
Part of the first Bolt generation introduced for 2017

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Insights

Trim:

Bolt EV 1LT

Estimated Range Based on Age

edmunds TESTED

268 miles^{The range for a used 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV is estimated to be 268 miles because electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year, with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.}

EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 268 miles.^{Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.}

Estimated range map^{This map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of West Chicago, Illinois. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors | Leaflet} from

Charging

SAE Combo^{Standard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.}

Plug Type

7.5 hrs

240V Home Charging^{Estimated total charging time when using a 240V outlet. This is either a 3-prong or 4-prong outlet used for appliances, for example a clothes dryer.}

61 min

DC Fast Charging^{This is the time needed to charge the vehicle's battery from a 10% to an 80% charge level, employing a fast charger at the maximum power the vehicle can accept. To optimize charging speed, we activate the vehicle's battery preconditioning feature, if it has one. In the absence of a preconditioning feature, we drive a sufficient amount to ensure the battery pack is warm and ready for charging.}

edmunds TESTED

EV batteries should be kept at 30-80% charged to extend battery life.

When can I use NACS/Tesla charging stations?

EV Battery Warranty

8 yrs or 100,000 miles^{The federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.}

According to GeoTab’s data, if the observed degradation rates are maintained, the vast majority of batteries will outlast the usable life of the vehicle.

Estimated battery warranty remaining is 6 years or 72,000 miles for this car.^{Warranty remaining value is based on the vehicle year, and on driving 14,000 miles per year. Confirm exact warranty coverage for each vehicle with the dealers and the manufacturer before purchasing.}

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

$7,850

Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

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Cost to Drive

$61/mo

Bolt EV

$172/mo

Car Avg.

Monthly estimates based on costs in Illinois

Am I Ready for an EV?

EV ownership works best if you can charge at home (240V outlet) ^{This typically means a 240V home installation, or other places your car is parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice.}
Adding a home charging system is estimated to cost $1,616 in
^{This is an estimate for your area. Using your address and the answers you provide, Treehouse can provide a more accurate price.}
Edmunds is partnering with Treehouse, an independent provider of home EV installation services. Learn more about the installation services partnership ^{Edmunds customers receive a 10% installation discount and 4% smart charger discount. Discount excludes permit, hosted inspection, and load management devices. Valid for 30 days.}

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Chevrolet Bolt EV Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.4

36 reviews

5(72%)

4(14%)

3(2%)

2(4%)

1(8%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

BEST ELECTRICAL VEHICLE VALUE

Ryan, 06/23/2022

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 1LT 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)

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.

A Bolt from the Blue

Bob Brown, 07/20/2021

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 1LT 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)

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 …

Fun Little Package!

GoBlueJays, 09/29/2022

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 2LT 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)

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 …

You Won’t Believe It When You Drive It!

Len Cannarozzi, 09/26/2023

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV 1LT 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)

I have owned at least 25 new cars in my life. I currently have a Corvette, an Escalade ESV, 2 Jeeps, a Van and older Cadillacs. So, I’m a car nut…When I decided to get an EV, I looked at a Tesla and found the interior so boring and the outside so plain, I passed. However, with the Bolt EV. I’m addicted! NEVER have I driven a car like this. First of all, the price. I picked up a 2023 1LT … for $17,800 ($7,500 federal credit and $4,000 NJ tax credit) WITH NO STATE SALES TAX - NJ!!!! Chevy also covered $1,500 for a home Level 2 charger. I had to kick in another $500. What an incredible value for a new car - $18,300 all in! Now, putting the money aside, I would have paid full price for the car if I had to. Here’s why: I opted for the 1LT for only one reason - cloth seats. I do not like leather seats. These cloth seats are super comfortable. In the cold weather, they heat up nearly instantly and actually get TOO hot after just a few minutes. In the summer, your skin doesn’t burn like on leather seating. I can drive for hours and am very comfortable. Another thing - the car is very roomy. I am 5’10” and can fully stretch my legs up front. People riding in the back seat are amazed at how much room there is. Ride: the car weighs nearly 3,700 pounds. The ride is incredible. So quiet and smooth. I can compare the ride to my Escalade. And, in some respects it is better. The acceleration and handling is unbelievable. Every time I start the car, I engage the Boost mode. I have beaten Porches, Corvettes and Mercedes off the line. The power just keeps coming with no shifting delay. Just amazing. I have so much fun driving my little racing sportster around. And yet, on the highway, you can do 70 and more with confidence. You feel like you’re in a much bigger and heavier car. Again, so quiet and smooth. Also, the Regenerative One Pedal mode lets me just lay off the accelerator to slow the car down. I hardly EVER use the brakes. And, I actually stop at Stop signs because the car does it for me. I doubt I’ll ever have to replace the brakes on this car - never use them… MPG: my Bolt reached a range of 279 miles per charge. Sometimes it’s a little less. With the level 2 charger, I can get a 37 mile charge every hour. So, I pull in my garage, plug her in for an overnight charge and she’s ready in about 1-2 hours on an average day. No gas station, no oil changes. I love it! I have calculated the Bolt gets 120mpg equivalent. So, I pay about $.50 cents a gallon equivalent. Oh - the electric company gives me a discounted rate for charging overnight - $.09 per KWH. The efficiency of this vehicle is excellent, considering its power. Basically, the car pays for itself with the gas saved on about 12,000 mile per year. BTW, the Battery has an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty. Interior: Heated steering wheel, awesome deep sounding radio, Apple Car Play with a 10 inch screen - the reverse view is in HD - so fantastic. The heat and AC are instantaneous. I even leave them on when I go to Doctor or shopping for an hour or less. Then, I get back into a nice cooled or heated car - cool!. The inside of the car looks like a regular car, with button, knobs and displays all in the right places. Seems so much better to me than the completely bland Tesla interior with that massive, distracting screen. The trunk is small, but with the back seat down, I’ve fit a bicycle in there. As for the exterior, some don’t like it at all. But, I think it looks cool for a small car. I could go on and on about the Bolt EV. In summary, I’m in love with this car. I drive it every chance I can. Chevy did an amazing job. So much so, I have another one on order! Grab one while you can. For $20k, it’s a winner!!

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV, so we've included reviews for other years of the Bolt EV since its last redesign.

See all 36 reviews of the Chevrolet Bolt EV

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2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV video

Chevrolet Bolt EV: Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car | 2023 Edmunds Top Rated Awards

2023 Bolt EV Highlights

Trim:

1LT

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$26,500
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$7,850 Based on income
Engine Type	Electric
EPA Electric Range	259 miles
Cost to Drive	$61/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	7.5 hours
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles
EV Battery Warranty	8 years / 100,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Bolt EV models:

Automatic Emergency Braking: Works with forward collision alert at speeds under 50 mph to help you avoid or reduce the severity of a front-end collision.
Forward Collision Alert: Scans the road ahead and warns of potential rear-end collisions.
Lane Keep Assist w/Lane Departure Warning: Warns you that the car may be drifting from its lane and can apply corrective action to nudge it back into line.

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2023 Chevy Bolt EV Review

Price & Payment

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Review

What's new

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Insights

Estimated Range Based on Age

Charging

EV Battery Warranty

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

Cost to Drive

Am I Ready for an EV?

Chevrolet Bolt EV Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

BEST ELECTRICAL VEHICLE VALUE

A Bolt from the Blue

Fun Little Package!

You Won’t Believe It When You Drive It!

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV video

2023 Bolt EV Highlights

Safety

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