2020 Chevrolet Bolt Range Is Higher Than an Entry-Level Tesla Model 3

Remember when electric vehicle range anxiety was a thing? Okay, perhaps we’re not past that yet, but it’s cool how automakers are working to push the distance their all-electric offerings can cover. Case in point: Chevrolet has announced a solid bump in range for the 2020 Bolt.
EPA-estimated range for the electric hatchback is now up to 259 miles, a 21-mile increase from last year’s 238-mile maximum. That nearly 9-percent increase is nothing to scoff at; given the current state of public charging infrastructure, EV drivers have to carefully consider range as they’re out and about or planning a trip. Even lifelong combustion-engine drivers have felt a twinge of panic as the fuel tank needle swings closer to E. Point is, we’ve all been in a situation where another 20-or-so miles of driving range would be a gift from the heavens above. Or in this case, Chevrolet.

Boosting the Bolt’s range involved a bit of secret sauce. Chevy’s battery engineers altered the cell chemistry of the car’s 60-kW-hr lithium-ion power source, making each electrode more energy-dense. It was all done without any physical changes to the battery pack, so it’s not any larger or heavier than before.
But there has to be a catch, right? Actually, it appears not. The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt will start at $37,495, the exact same price as last year. That includes the identical 200 horsepower, 266 lb-ft front-wheel-drive powertrain, with a 120-volt portable charge cord to keep it juiced. DC fast charging capability is an option.
Chevrolet can now proudly boast that the Bolt tops the Hyundai Kona Electric’s range by one single, lonesome mile. It’s also well above Nissan’s Leaf, which is rated for 226 miles in top spec. Chevrolet trounces Volkswagen, as the Bolt is now capable of more than double the distance of the e-Golf, which can manage only 125 miles (although Volkswagen will zap back strongly, soon). Most impressive, though, is that the Bolt now bests the entry-level Tesla Model 3, which is rated for 240 miles. Regardless, we’re glad to see such range improvements for electric vehicles year by year.
Source: Chevrolet

The post 2020 Chevrolet Bolt Range Is Higher Than an Entry-Level Tesla Model 3 appeared first on MotorTrend.