The 2022 Bolt EV will be available in two trims, namely 1LT and 2LT. The 1LT starts at $31,995 and gets LED headlamps, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, HD rearview camera, Chevy safety assist, to name a few. The topmost 2LT trim starts at $35,195 and adds an 8-way powered driver’s seat, leather-appointed seats, HD surround-view camera, lane change alert and side blind zone, rear park assist to name a few. 

*expected

Optional packages available on the 2022 Bolt EV include Infotainment Package, Driver Confidence II package, Interior Protection package, Winter/Summer Floor Mats package, etc. Now Chevy hasn’t shared the exact price list for these packages as of this writing, but we will update this section as soon as we get any details regarding the same.

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The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV already has a budget price tag, and in fact, is now around five grand cheaper than the 2021 Bolt EV, which means the 2022 Bolt 2LT trim was the price of 2021 Bolt base trim. That said, we recommend going for the top end 2LT trim as it not only looks good courtesy 17-inch alloy wheels but adds leather upholstery, powered front seats, HD surround-view camera, etc. 

Release date:

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV is expected to hit the dealerships by 2021 summer end. Chevy is yet to confirm the exact launch dates.

Now, even if the Bolt EV has been overhauled on the outside, it hasn’t quite changed all that much under the skin. Its electricals and mechanicals still remain the same, and the 2022 Bolt uses the same motor and battery as the 2021 Bolt. The Bolt has a permanent magnet electric motor that powers the front wheels only. The 65-kWh lithium-ion battery powers the 200 horsepower motor mated to a single-speed gearbox that sends power to front wheels.

The 2022 Bolt EV has finally got a one-pedal-driving mode and regen on-demand mode. The former can be activated by a push of a button on the center console, while the latter needs a simple pull and hold of the paddle to activate it. The 2022 Bolt EV will be using the same powertrain as the outgoing model. It's expected to do 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds and a quarter-mile run in about 14.9 seconds. As for the rivals, only the Tesla 3 is quicker with a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.5 seconds.

The ride and handling of the Chevrolet Bolt isn’t anything special to write about, but Chevy has assured us that the 2022 Bolt will ride better, and the brakes have been improved to increase the braking power. Not only this, the regenerative braking has been tweaked to be much smoother and less intrusive. And with one pedal drive now available, you will be far less fatigued driving around the Bolt EV.

The hatchback EV segment has been lackluster up till now, but with the entry of the Tesla Model 3, things have spiced up a bit. Still, the Tesla Model 3 puts out the highest 258 horses and 317 lb-ft of torque. Followed by the Chevrolet Bolt with 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. The Nissan Leaf is the least powerful among all and has 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque to offer.

Chevy claims that the 2022 Bolt EV will have a range of about 259 miles, which is the same as the outgoing model. The 2022 Bolt EV will also be getting dual-level charging cords that can be plugged into both 120-volt and 240-volt charging outlets. The Level 2 charging will allow the battery to charge from 0% to 100% in 7 hours. The car will still be available with a DC fast charging option that can provide juice enough to last for 100 miles in about 30 minutes with a Level 3 outlet.

To compare the amount of energy consumed by electric and hybrid vehicles to that of conventional gas-powered vehicles, the EPA has devised a term called MPGe which stands for miles per gallon equivalent. The higher the MPGe rating of a car, the more energy-efficient it is. 

The 2022 Bolt EV is expected to return a combined 118 MPGe, which is a bit on the lower side compared to the other cars in the competition. The Tesla Model 3 for instance returns the highest combined MPGe rating of 141 miles, followed by the Hyundai Kona with a combined MPGe of 120 miles. While Nissan Leaf has the least combined MPGe of 111 miles. 

The Bolt’s range is in fact better than any other car in the competition, except for the Tesla Model 3 that has a claimed range of 263 miles. Hyundai Kona comes after Bolt EV with 258 miles of range from a full charge, followed by Nissan Leaf with the least 149 miles of range from a full charge.

The interior of the 2022 Bolt EV has been completely revamped. Gone are the cheap and hard plastic interior of the 2021 Bolt, and in comes the all-new interiors of the 2022 Bolt. The interior not only looks much sportier and futuristic but also feels nice to touch. The materials used inside seem much better than before, and the whole cabin just has an upscale vibe to it. Chevy has brought in a new flat-bottom sports steering wheel to add a sporty touch and has offered a fully digital 8-inch instrument cluster to make the cabin seem more modern. Chevy has also ditched the quirky drive mode selector knob that was there in the center console and replaced it with push/pull toggle switches.

Passenger space hasn’t changed much compared to the outgoing model since the car has dimensionally remained the same as the 2021 Bolt. Thus you get a fair amount of room in both the rows and tall people won’t have any complaints. That said, three adults at the back are still going to be a tight fit in there, but then, this is a tiny hatchback, and you just can’t expect anything better than this. The seats are pretty snug and offer good support now, and Chevy has assured that the earlier uncomfortable seats have been completely ditched for the new and better ones. 

The cargo capacity of the hatchbacks has always been better, and Nissan Leaf has the biggest cargo capacity of 23 cubic feet. Followed by Hyundai Kona with 19.2 cubic feet of cargo space. Chevy Bolt, on the other hand, has 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space, while the Tesla Model 3 has a slightly smaller 15 cubic feet of cargo capacity. 

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV infotainment system is a 10.2-inch touchscreen display that sits in the center of the dashboard, and the car is offered with a 6-speaker audio system. It also gets Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, enhanced voice recognition, SiriusXM Radio, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, etc as standard. The infotainment system also gets over-the-air updates and also has other apps like Spotify and Amazon Alexa inbuilt. Highlights of the infotainment system include:

• 10.2-inch touchscreen display
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• SiriusXM Radio
• 6-speaker audio setup
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot

There can be mixed opinions about the way the 2022 Bolt EV looks on the outside. Its design is radical and futuristic thanks to sharper design language and bold crease lines all over the car. The front fascia of the Bolt looks aggressive and has got that split headlight design that looks like it is inspired by the Kona EV and quite frankly looks cool on Bolt. 

Now, even if the shape of the car remains unchanged, there are few elements like the blacked-out B and C pillars and the floating roofline that help the car attract the eyeball. The taillight design has also been changed, and they look way better than before. There are these tiny bits like the shark fin antenna and the integrated spoiler that enhance the car’s look and character.

Dimensionally, the Bolt EV still remains the same as the outgoing model, and Chevy hasn’t tweaked the measurement. The 2022 Chevy Bolt will be around 164-inches in length, 69.5-inches wide, 62.8-inch high, and will have a 102.4-inches of wheelbase. Rivals are much bigger here, especially the Tesla Model 3 that is 20-inches longer, 3-inches wider, and has 11-inches of more wheelbase than the Bolt.

Next comes the Nissan Leaf that is 12-inches longer, 1-inch wider, and has 4-inches of more wheelbase than the Chevy Bolt, while the Hyundai Kona is almost similar to the Chevy Bolt in terms of exterior dimensions. Being an SUV, the Hyundai Kona has the highest 6.2-inches of ground clearance. Highlights of the exterior features include-

• 17” machined-face aluminum wheels with carbon flash painted pockets
• Automatic on/off headlights
• Heated mirrors
• Intellibeam- auto high beam
• Solar absorbing windshield 

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV hasn’t yet been tested by the NHTSA and IIHS, but the previous model year went through it. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EV will be based on GM’s BEV2 electric-vehicle platform, and we expect the 2022 Bolt EV to fare even better than the outgoing model. But to give you an idea, the 2021 Bolt EV got 4 and 5-star ratings in almost all the tests conducted by the NHTSA, and the IIHS has also awarded ‘Good’ ratings to the Bolt in almost all areas. The 2022 Bolt gets very advanced safety and driver assistance features like Super Cruise self-driving tech from the parent company GM. We’ve listed down a few standout safety features of the Bolt EV below.

• Automatic emergency braking
• Following distance indicator
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Forward collision alert
• Lane-keeping assist with lane departure warning
• Lance change alert with side blind zone alert
• Front pedestrian braking

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV vs 2021 Hyundai Kona EV

The Hyundai Kona EV is pricier and has the same power and torque numbers as the Bolt EV. Not only this, the Kona EV is dimensionally almost similar to the Bolt EV too. Moreover, it is slower than the Chevy off the straight line. The Kona EV, however, boasts a bigger boot, and that just gives it an edge over the Chevy in terms of practicality. The Kona EV also has slightly better MPGe ratings, while the range offered by both the cars is pretty similar. The Bolt EV offers pretty much all the things that the Kona EV offers for almost $6,000 less, and hence we would recommend saving cash and going for the Chevy Bolt EV between the two.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV vs 2021 Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf makes just 147 hp and has a range of just 150 miles. Now, these figures are clearly less than the Bolt EV. Moreover, the Bolt EV is about $1,000 cheaper than the Leaf. Both the cars are almost the same when it comes to passenger volume and creature comfort. The only area where the Nissan Leaf beats the Chevy Bolt is its bigger dimensions, otherwise, it's Chevy Bolt which is better in almost every comparison we did here. Clearly, the Bolt EV is the better car of the two, and it is the one you should go for.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt vs 2021 Tesla Model 3.

The Tesla Model 3 is the best-selling car in the segment. It is fast, it is powerful, and it also delivers a very good range. We understand that the Model 3 is priced way more than the Bolt EV, but Model 3 comes with lots of features and goodies for the $5,000 price difference. No car in the segment offers the kind of tech features and safety features that Tesla does. Moreover, the Model 3 gets better range and power, and that just makes it a much better proposition than the Bolt EV. If you have the money, we would recommend you to go with the Model 3.

The refreshed 2022 Chevy Bolt is an extremely attractive proposition. It is one of the cheapest electric vehicles in the market, and no other EV in that price bracket offers the kind of range and power that it does that too at a bargain price. The refreshed exterior design and the interior design just make the Bolt EV much more interesting, and hopefully, it will attract buyers now. Moreover, it comes loaded with infotainment and safety features. For a price tag of a shade over $31,000, the 2022 Bolt EV just offers great value, and if you are on a budget and interested in buying an EV, we would advise you to get the 2022 Bolt EV right away.