2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV: MY VERY DETAILED COLD WEATHER ROAD TEST AND REVIEW 

The EUV and the smaller Bolt EV are exactly the affordable packages needed for EVs to become an environmentally worthwhile trend. Thanks for making the effort to produce such a thorough and professional review! And yes, if 85% of new vehicles sold in Norway are now EVs, there is no reason they can't be as widely embraced here.

I got my Bolt EUV in October and I love it. I would recommend it to anyone who drives moderate or short distances

We recently bought a 2023 Bolt EUV and for our driving needs, it’s a perfect fit. Most of our driving is around town, and with Chevy paying for the installation of a level-2 outlet, our Bolt is always plugged in at home. If you take longer road trips often, it’s probably not the right choice, but for us it was a great fit.

Thanks Justin. One of the best (maybe the best) review of the Bolt I have seen. Balanced, pointing out positives and negatives. Also very comprehensive. I especially appreciated the driving at night portion ie headlights. Very few reviewers do that. Thank you and well done.

This review and associated comments support the contention that those shopping for a new car will do themselves a hugh favor by considering the Bolt. My EUV by far is the most satisfying vehicle (gas or EV) that I have ever owned; now at almost 80 years old, I've owned a bunch.

I have 2019 Bolt LT. It should be noted that with 1 pedal driving when you are stopped the brake lights turn off when stopped. So it is recommended to press the brake pedal when stopped at a red light or stop sign so cars do not rear end you.

According to the manual, it recommends using Level 2 charging in cold temperatures as it uses a decent amount of electricity coming from the outlet to ensure the battery is kept warm. This is the same amount of current, but constitutes a higher proportion off Level 1 than Level 2, which explains why colder climate had a higher effect on Level 1. Also, by default on Level 1 it only draws 8 amps to avoid overloading the circuit and popping the breaker; if you want to draw the full 12 amps you have to either enable it every time you plug in or set the location up as an allowed location for 12-amp charging.

The 2022 EV has been great for us so far this winter. We went on a 420km road trip with temperatures ranging from -6 to -25, and it was not a huge hassle as long as you anticipate where and how long to stop for. Thankfully you can sit in the warm vehicle while it’s fast charging for 25 minutes. I don’t like how hard it is to see the outside temperature when Apple CarPlay is being used, and I also don’t understand why the thermometer won’t register below -40. I drove it at temperatures that were likely closer to -50 and was disappointed I couldn’t be sure. Either way, the car handled as well as a warm gas car, if not better than most (and no issues starting up of course!). Obviously winter tires have been essential. Really, this car has been the best winter vehicle I’ve ever driven for simple commuting. Otherwise, I agree with all of your critique, good review👍🏼

Love this! Thank you. I ordered my 2023 Bolt EUV in October. I'm supposed to get it in February. I can't wait.

Great video. Very informative. Like the snow effect

Thanks for thoroughly explaining the re-gen on demand and the one-pedal driving functionality. Other reviewers did a poor job explaining this.

I leased one. Like it. I don't pay for gas and charging is free in my building (I use it for local trips). I figure the above combo reduces the lease payment substantially. I am not interested in a more expensive EV. It's fast, no I don't care about the faster EVs and won't pay the price for them. Very well put together with heated and cooled seats, also steering wheel. I don't care about Super Cruise although I hear it works well on the roads that it supports (got to do your research people). I lease because I want to stay current with technology and look forward to what they have to offer in 3 years' time.

I have just purchased the EUV Bolt and see that the area where the USB and USB-C chargers are, are not really needed. I remove the case, drop my phone in the slot and it connects and charges without the physical cable connection. It has wireless charging!

Overall an excellent, on point review, and very timely as I look at getting a (used) Bolt EUV while moving to a place with an actual winter. One pet peeve though: when discussing charging speed, it's just Kilowatts (power), not kilowatt-hours (energy) as stated. It's very confusing to a lot of folks, so hopefully your clear and detailed presentation can help clear up the confusion!

Great review. I live in southwestern Ontario, so your video gives lots of valuable information about how much of an effect winter weather conditions have on range.

Your final points hit the nail right on the head, Justin. The relatively slow level 3 charging, and lack of a heat pump make this a poor road trip car. At the upper trim levels, I think the Ioniq 5 is a much better choice. The base level of his car is much more compelling. It would meet majority of people's daily needs, and offer good value. This car is crazy cheap in the US.

Excellent review in a cold Canadian climate. Looks like a great vehicle option for the reasons you noted Justin.

Your reviews are the best!!!

Although I had to keep pausing to think in terms of UK/US/imperial measures, this was very useful and informative, using a lot of real world quantifiable data. Thanks very much for taking the time to do this.

EXCELLENT overall review. You hit on many points I would have like to know. A little more on the handling and range with additional weight would have been helpful, then again it would've been less. Still a comparison with this and similar vehicles, in cold and hot weather would have been helpful. Nonetheless I like your review a lot.

Very through! Lots of great info to help you with a purchase decision! 👍🏼👍🏼

These comments are also really helpful. Thanks for replying Justin. I noticed that the rear view mirror camera is difficult to use with corrective lenses needed for driving. I don't use the camera unless stationary same as you demonstrated.

I want to cry!You have a absolut dreamcar!I want one to!

I can tell you a good set of winter tires makes a huge difference. Just picked up my ‘23 Bolt EV from Barrie and drove it home with all seasons and the backroad drive was a bit white knuckled. Much better drive when I installed the winter tires. Driving up to Sudbury in a few weeks. Looking forward to testing range, DC fast charge and overall driving feel.

This is one of the best reviews I've seen for a car. I test drove a Bolt EUV a couple days ago and loved it, but think I am going to wait and see what the Equinox EV is like. I never got much of a chance to test drive the one pedal driving because I didn't have it for long and was kind of nervous to try it out, but you explained it a lot better than others I've seen. Now I wish I had tried it lol.

Just got myself one of these...picking it up August 18th...heard good things about it

Thanks for the review. One question. Have you tried putting winter tires on an EV? If so what tires and how did it affect range?

If you remote start while the car is plugged in it uses power from the wall to preheat and is even faster than the battery and doesn't drain the battery either.

Greetings from just down the 400! Great video Justin looking at this car as a possle 2nd car replacement - Mark

Excellent review, gives all the information needed for someone considering a Bolt. That would include me!

Bought my 2019 Bolt Premier brand new almost 4 years ago. The best car in my life.

As the owner of a 2019 BoltEV I was delighted to find your review which aligns with my experience. I use level 1 charging 99 percent of the time and it's perfectly adequate. Also I do roadtrip in the Bolt. I actually like taking breaks every couple of hours to help keep me fresh so the slightly longer charging times (even in extreme cold) aren't bothersome to me. However, the need to stop does annoy certain family members who like bombing from destination to destination. Keep up the great reviews!

An excellent and thorough review Justin, many thanks. An ideal vehicle for my needs. Just one major problem though in Ontario YOU CANT GET ONE. Dealer says 1 to 2 year wait. Frustrating.

Well done!

Big advantage of remote starting a Bolt (or any EV) is you can start it in a closed garage and no worries about carbon monoxide poisoning.

There is no such thing as level 3 charger. The DC fast chargers are defined as level 2 DC. There was a proposed SAE J1772 standard that defined a level 3 AC (Still not DC fast charge,) but it was removed before the standard was finalized and never implemented.

Thanks for the video Justin. Why not just leave a plug in the USB and attach your device from there? I guess you could also use the ports behind the consol. We have wireless Android and wireless charging so it's not an issue for us. The shifter is just something different we got used to from our old Bolts, don't love it, don't hate it.

Wondering if in one pedel mode when you ease off the accelerator are only the front wheels breaking?

I’ve had my ‘23 Bolt EUV for almost 5 months now. It’s been excellent for me on both commuting and shorter road trips around the Midwestern US. Highly recommend, although the wait list to buy one is currently very long.

I leave a phone charging cord plugged in, in my 2017 Bolt so it’s always ready. The ports are easier to see and access than the ones in the video.

Greetings from oakville Ontario I thought ev came with a heat pump and my sister lives in Vancouver and she has put down a deposit for the vinfast eco model and she had a opportunity to test drive it at the yorkdale shopping center in Toronto back last October she gave her color choices and now has to wait thanks for the presentation

Bolts are really awesome! Just keep an ICE or PHEV cars in the stable for long cross country trips.

Are the seats comfortable?

Thanks. If find the slow fast charging to frustrating for road trips.

Hmm. I have had two BoltEV cars ( the better looking older ones IMHO ) and the heat takes a few minutes before you feel it.

During one pedal driving when you ease off the accelerator do the brake lights come on?

When you speak of how the heater works in the Bolt, I will have to take your word for it because the heater in the Bolt that I just bought broke 3 weeks after I bought the car and they have had the car for a week already so I can hardly remember what the car was like

Great review Justin! Couple questions for you. 1) What is the low traction like in this (and other) EV? Is it like a limited slip diff kind of feel (ie. Civic Si) or is it more like an open differential where it spins a lot easier in low traction scenarios? As someone who has owned an Si's for the last 5 years (and a Sentra Spec V back in '03) I can honestly say that if you have good snow tires and an LSD there's really no need for AWD. Is it nice to have? Sure, but you don't NEED it. 2) Where'd you stop for charging on your TO trips? What was the charging experience like? I always check the status of the charging stations at the Seguin trail Petro and 2 of the last 3 times I've been through (admittedly maybe once per year) both charging stations were offline. I know of some RU-vidrs further south constantly complain about the unreliability of charging stations in the GTA - not a big deal down there as you could probably get to the next one easily enough. Driving down 69, 17 or 144 however where there's much fewer charge points makes that a much riskier proposition. I'd love to consider an EV for my next vehicle but the price gap is still pretty large. Even on an inexpensive EV like this one its still about $5-7k more than my fun to drive '22 Si. $6k buys me enough fuel for 2 years. The pre-heated cabin stuff is really nice mind you as would be the snappy off the line acceleration (even from a pretty modest power figure like the Bolt).

eI have the opposite question. How good is the EUV Premium (the one with ventilated seats) in summer? Real summer, like 40C/105F (or more)? How does that affect battery life, how well does it cool you, etc?

By asking about km driven you quickly revealed you are in Canada. Nice review! To summarize: in coldest days the range is 250 km or 156 miles?

Kilowatts = power = how fast the electricity is going into or out of the battery (like how fast gasoline is flowing into your tank). Kilowatt-hours = energy = how much your battery can store (think liters in a fuel tank).

Ive been toying with the idea of L1 charging just to see if that would be enough to keep up with day-to-day driving. I think the occasional day when I drive my pickup anyway would make it feasible by giving it a whole charge day (~100 extra miles). Main reason I dont is I would have to take my L1/L2 cable, which I like to have with me, out of my trunk; and its a pain to re-coil it and stuff it back in the bag.

I've experienced a couple of wind noises in colder temps at 70 km/h. GM has a tech bulletin so it was easy to get them to fix it after they were able to hear it. Sounds like a turbo-prop aircraft - quite annoying.

Do the brake lights go on when you use one foot driving or regen?

I don't use the heater but the ac in the heat

I never understood the range anxiety either. 80 miles I drive a day, kind of. I drive 40 a day, but for 1 day a week I need 80, in that time for 4hrs the car would be at a 240v charger. Which for this car 4hrs is about 80 miles.

Doesn't tell you the long term effect in convience of battery charging on the go. Makes extremely cold and hot places cut the battery life.

GM has so much love to give,its amazing!

Where do you get money for gas

Does your phone charge in the case?

How is leg support?

The Chevy Bolt must charge faster in Canada than it does in the USA. Because in the USA it takes 1 1/2 hours to charge to 80 percent. And the lack of a heat pump drains the battery faster than I like.

GM cheapened the levers from gen 1 to 2 Bolt

as a yankee it's hard to understand the liters and kilometers and so on. it seems from youtube like the bolt is bigger in canada than the us.

16:17 NEVER LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL!

I leave my USB cable plugged in so that isn’t a problem. 😅

I was hoping to learn what the range would be in this worst case scenario.

only disadvantage is no heat pump

EV Driving ranges: distance to the worry point; distance to the anxious point (increased blood pressure) ; distance to panic point. Normal person will not go below 25% left. What load (passengers and cargo) does your car use to calculate the distance? What is your load? What air temperature does your car computer use to calculate distance? What headwind is used to calculate? Hills and mountains? It seems to me that for anything more than a 60 mile one way commute the stress would not be worth it. Backup public or private transportation recommended. Yet to be determined is EMF (Electromotive force) pollution in metro locations. Be very cautious about advertised emergency stopping distances as well as spin-out issues on curves do to vehicle weight.

If I purchase a left over, brand new 2023 Bolt EV or EUV in 2024, will I receive the full $7500.00 tax credit?

Disagree with you about the USB connectors locations. Cables are so cheap, why not just leave one always plugged in?! This design also creates an advantage that after you are done, you can just roll the cable and store them in that area, without cable exposed in the cabin. You may not think this is an issue in your weather, but hot temperatures in the cabin can damage charging cables, so it's great to be able to tuck them away in a covered area not exposed to the sun. The real let down is the infotainment unit, which is badly done as far as integration is concerned. Switching between GM's system to monitor battery and that of Android Auto or Apply Car Play is such a convoluted multi-press process. Imagine you are trying to monitor SOC while looking at the navigation screen to your charging station. GM really messed up the infotainment system integration with this very fragmented design.

11:33 NSFW

Justin, be the first (to my knowledge) to rim-up a Chevy Bolt.

-1C isn't at all challenging. Try -25C.

Wow, this guy is off about LEVEL 2 charging at home. After 5 years with an EV.... I can say, you need LEVEL 2 charging for most people who drive to work, then shopping, then visiting friends, then to hangout ....... I don't know anyone who just drives from home to work ONLY ..... Most people have a life and drive more than just to commute to work

Isn't this the car which catches fire when charging?

EVs are horrible in cold weather as we saw this past week in the U.S. EVs stranded everywhere. Also, EVs depreciate 50% in the first year.

12:45 wow, go find a driver and chill out.

I own a '23 Bolt EUV and have NEVER had a problem figuring out which gear to select. Only a drunk would have a problem. How silly a criticism.

Sounds like you need an IQ of about 150 and 4 months of special training to drive this thing! I'd be afraid to rent one, that's for sure!!! With all those gimmicks, how can you drive it safely when you have to think fast???? Seems like an accident just waiting to happen.

No AWD, no thanks

Very bad sound quality

I drive zero kilometers! Drive in U.S. which uses miles!😮

waste of time and money

Does its roof solid slider to close the sun coming in closes all the way ?