Wards Auto's Bob
Gritzinger and his driving companion were just outside Portland, Oregon last
week when they stopped outside for a quick recharge with the 2020
Chevy Bolt. The extra 20 miles of range in the new model makes a noticeable
difference in a journey such as this: the two were headed from Seattle to
Portland. The '20 Bolt's extra range was seen after some chemistry
modifications to its cathode material in the batteries, and no changes were
needed regarding mounting hardware or battery-pack space.
Rob Mantinan was the brunt of brains behind the
engineering, and he says that the added range was possible without any changes
in the car's 200-hp, 266 -lb -ft magnet traction motor or any of the control
systems. The DC fast-charging did see an upgrade, allowing depleted batteries
to now gain 100 miles of range in 30 minutes in mild temperatures, with some
improved charging in cold weather too. The new year's model sees a revised
front fascia, high-definition rear and 360-degree cameras, a camera-display
rear-view mirror, and a new system that creates sound from external speakers in
the front and rear of the vehicle to alert pedestrians.
This particular drive offered up weather elements
such as sunshine to pouring rain, and they lamented that the Bolt performed
“flawlessly” as they closely monitored the vitals to get the most out of a full
charge. They extended the range to 259 miles by using regenerative braking, and
by closely watching the cabin ventilation to not overuse air conditioning. The
duo concluded that the latest model drove in every single way very similar to
previous years, seeing to low-end torque, responsive regenerative braking, and
a very smooth overall cruise. They had a great sense of ease with one-pedal
accelerations, as well as braking down
to a full stop while using extra-regen low gear.
Here in the States, the Bolt absolutely remains
the non-Tesla BEV champion, leading the competition against the BMW i3, Hyundai
Kona, Nia Niro, Nissan Leaf, and Volkswagen Golf electric models. It's pretty
easy to get used to the daily drive when it sinks in that Evs are nearly silent
in operation, have much lower maintenance requirements, and provide a very
instant amount of torque for very brisk off-the-line acceleration.
There is just shy of 17 cubic feet of luggage
space behind the rear seats, and if you fold the backrests down this rises to
56 cubic feet. Another edition for the 2020 year is high-definition cameras for
the available surround-view and backup systems, which adds to overall driver
confidence. All of us on staff here at Chuck Hutton of Memphis know
that the future is approaching rapidly and some things in the industry are
changing faster than ever, and we would love to demonstrate to you how a new
Bolt can alleviate your daily dependence on the pump!
No comments:
Post a Comment