Little and large – Chevrolet unveils Bolt EV and EUV electric cars

Chevrolet has taken the next step in its electrfication offensive by taking the wraps off its new Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. The latter is a larger version of the former, and brings the company’s electric impetus to the crossover/SUV segment.

The little Bolt EV

Updates to the Bolt EV include a new front fascia that boasts a tighter, more coherent design. A subtle line starts from the windshield and runs to the very bottom of the bumper, splitting the entire front end in two – a feature that was present on the previous Bolt EV. The diamond-patterend ‘grille’ area is no longer split into two sections, but instead the top half has been substituted for clean bodywork with a small ridge that includes the Chevrolet logo at its centre, and the lower section is larger with a shape that works with the main lamps to better sculpt the front end. It is enclosed by a glossy black frame, with the bottom half making way for air vents.

There are new lighting signatures both front and back. The daytime running lights (DLRs) at the front are now narrow LED strips that underline the bonnet and draw the eye inwards to the logo. They connect to the main lamps in one continuous unit, as opposed to the two separate units on the previous model. The same glossy black material used to frame the ’grille’ is also used to connect the lamps to the A-pillars.

A low-running belt line starts from behind the front wheels and rises steadily skywards. It bisects the door handles and finishes at the same level as the rear lamps. This same angle is reproduced lower down on the side panels with a strong line that runs between the wheels. There is also a chunky piece of bodywork above the back wheels that extends upwards and cuts into the C-pillar and window area, accenting the Bolt EV's shoulders.

Not much has changed at the back apart from the lights. Chevrolet has ditched the previous busy lighting signature for a far simpler design, with two half circles bisected by a thin chrome strip. The reflective squares on the back bumper are much smaller too. Though these may be relatively small changes, the result is a rear thar is much easier on the eye.

Some updates have taken place inside the Bolt EV too. A new toggle switch-style gear shift frees up space compared to the more traditional lever in the outgoing Bolt. There is also a new one-pedal driving button that enhances makes the renerative braking system more aggressive. The seats are finished in a new geometric pattern with contrasting stitching.

The large Bolt EUV

The new Bolt EUV clearly shares its design DNA with the Bolt EV. Many of the shapes and lines that characterise the smaller model are present on the larger SUV, but there are some differentiators.

At the front end, the same subtle centre line runs from the windscreen to the bumper, and the narrow LEDs that are on the new Bolt EV also feature on the EUV. However, the lights are housed in two separate units, with the slitted DLRs sitting high and the main lamps in place of what would be vertical air vents on a petrol or diesel car. As with the Bolt EV, glossy black strips extend from the top of the lights, but they finish halfway above the front wheels instead of extending to the A-pillars. A new pattern on the ‘grille’ is in the honeycomb style of traditional grilles (and is also reflected in the rear lighting signature). Above this is a ridge in the bodywork that includes the Chevrolet logo, just like on the Bolt EV.

The sides of the EUV are slightly different from those of the EV as well. The same strong line sits low between the two wheels, but the belt line is far higher up and runs all the way from the back of the front LEDs to the rear lamps. There is also that chunky body work at the back to accent the shoulders.

A far more angular approach than with the EV is taken at the rear. While the lamps and the boot outline are fairly rounded on the Bolt EV, they are distinctly more square-edged on the EUV. The rear bumper is far larger and pushes upwards, with a large ridge in the body work that tops it off. These are all details characteristic of an SUV design, resulting in a far more muscular appearance.

The interior of the EUV is almost identical to the EV, with the same dash layout featuring a 10.2-inch screen at its heart, and all the same trims available. The only difference is space – the EUV has three inches of additional rear legroom when compared to the EV. That doesn't seem like a huge amount, but the EUV only measures six inches longer than the Bolt in overall length.

Chevrolet says the idea of launching the new Bolt EUV and redesigned EV is to appeal to more customers and encourage uptake of electric cars, a big part of which is making them affordable. To this end, the base price of the new Bolt EV has been lowered by over $5,000 from the 2021 model. Phil Zak, executive design director at Chevrolet, provided more information on the company's EV strategy in Car Design Review 7.