The Chevy Bolt EV is a smart drive

Smart, Reliable & Eco-Friendly!

I’ll be honest friends, I had never given Electric Vehicles much thought. Just the idea of operating one seemed inconvenient.

But when a Cajun Red Tintcoat Chevy Bolt Electric Vehicle (EV) arrived at my house and my 2-year old Toby looked at it with an excited smile, I literally started warming up to the idea. This was my chance to see what the Electric Vehicle buzz was all about and possibly dismantle some misconceptions.

Common EV misconceptions include—

Electric Vehicles are a thing of the future and it’s too early to take a chance
Electric Vehicles are ridiculously expensive
Electric Vehicle charging stations are few and far between and probably hard to locate (why risk getting stuck without a charge!?)
Electric Vehicles aren’t very “good-looking”
Maintenance on Electric Vehicles probably costs an arm & a leg

For this post, I partnered with Chevrolet!

The car manufacturer debuted the Chevy Bolt Electric Vehicle (EV) concept in 2015. Three years later, the front-motor, five-door all electric hatchback is the only plug-in electric car with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of less than $50K (more on that in a bit) and it’s capable of delivering an EPA-rated range of 238 miles.

So what does all of this mean?

Read along and I’ll break it down. Each of my previously highlighted misconceptions have been updated to reflect my honest opinion:

Electric vehicles ARE a thing of the future and NO, it’s not too early to take a chance!

For starters, the Chevy Bolt EV is a smart car. By plugging in your smartphone, the vehicle integrates your phone’s apps into an easy-to-navigate screen where you can answer phone calls, listen to your music lists and even get driving directions using voice commands or with a simple tap on the screen.

The car provides a smooth & quiet drive. I almost felt like I had to double-check that the car was still on. It’s quiet and makes for a very pleasant drive.

Most importantly, Electric Vehicles don’t harm the environment. Investing in an Electric Vehicle is probably the best purchase we can make as parents if we want to lead our children into an eco-friendly & sustainable state-of-mind.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that more than half of the air pollution in the U.S. is caused by mobile sources, primarily automobiles. Why the heck wouldn’t we consider doing something about this alarming reality!?

My boys were happy and confortable in the Chevy Bolt EV!

Electric Vehicles are actually quite affordable

A 2019 Chevy Bolt EV, for example, starts at $36K. An earlier year model can be purchased for less than that, which makes it certainly affordable, especially when you eliminate gas expenses.

Here are other ways you actually save money when you purchase a Chevy Bolt EV—

You can get a tax credit for purchasing an Electric Vehicle.

The Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Credit is the main federal incentive program for electric cars available in the U.S. Under this program, the purchase of a new electric vehicle is eligible for a $7,500 tax credit as long as it meets certain criteria (the Chevy Bolt EV does).

You can charge your car at home.

Yes, it’s true. The vehicle comes with a charging cable (located in a special compartment under the hatchback’s trunk floor) that plugs directly into a wall outlet. Charging your Chevy Bolt EV from home is a Level 1 Charge. This means it will add about 3-5 miles of range per hour. For a full charge, you’ll need to have the car connected for 50 hours.

Note: the higher the charging “level”, the higher the charging power.

Level 2 charging stations can be found at restaurants, retail shopping centers and workplaces. This type of charge can add about 25 miles of range per hour. This means, you can leave the car charging while you go about your errands.

Level 3 charging

is the fastest charging system which adds about 90 miles of range in only 30 minutes. This type of charge can also fill the battery to 80% capacity in an hour. Level 3 charging is available at certain places, which can generally be located through a number of apps available for smartphones.

Most charging stations don’t require a fee. Those that do only charge a fraction of the national average cost for gasoline.

A Level 2 Charging Station at a Chevrolet Car Dealership in Van Nuys, CA

Electric Vehicle charging stations are located all over the place

One easy way to find them is by downloading certain apps on your smartphone. Apps like PlugShare, ChargePoint, and the Chevrolet app can actually guide you to your nearest charging station regardless of where you are.

Finally, Electric Vehicles are certainly good-looking

Heck, I’ll even say they’re cute & chic!

The Chevy Bolt EV changed my perspective on Electric Vehicles. With everything going on in our world, I feel as though an environmentally-friendly car is the new luxury.

I loved this car! I certainly recommend the Chevy Bolt EV for anyone who has a daily commute that’s under 200 miles. It’s very easy to drive and provides a comfortable experience that’s also pollution-free!

Thanks for reading, friends!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

This is a partner post. Chevrolet allowed me the use of a Chevy Bolt EV in exchange for an honest review on this blog.

Chevy Bolt EV: Our First Electric Vehicle Experience in L.A!