Dr. Robert Langdon, CT Discusses Driving Electric with the Chevrolet Bolt EV
November 25, 2019
I have been driving a Chevrolet Bolt, an all-electric small SUV, for the past two years. The Bolt should not be confused with the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid car that also has a gasoline engine. My electric vehicle (EV) has proven to be highly reliable, well-built and well-designed, and a lot of fun to drive.
About Robert Langdon’s Chevrolet Bolt EV
The Bolt has a surprising amount of interior space, largely because it has a very short hood in front, where the electric motor resides. It does not need a long hood as conventional cars do in order to house an internal combustion engine (ICE). Thus, a higher proportion of the Bolt is devoted to interior cabin space. The interior height of the Bolt is also spacious because the vehicle has a tall roofline, creating excellent head room (the top of my head is at least three inches from the ceiling).
EVs tend to be heavier than similar-sized “ICE” cars because of the weight of the battery pack. The Bolt has a flat array of about 240 lithium-ion batteries along the bottom of the chassis. The location of these batteries creates a low center of gravity, which enhances the driving experience with very good handling around corners. The Bolt’s large battery pack gives it an excellent driving range, nominally 240 miles on a full charge. (The range is the distance the car can drive on a single electric charge.) Many Bolt drivers have experienced a range of over 300 miles.
Photo Credit: EVs: Robert Langdon; EV go-cart: Beva Nall-Langdon; Information table: Alison DeMaio
Robert Langdon, CT on Driving Electric
The Bolt is extremely well built (I have not heard a single rattle while driving) and well designed. The controls are intuitive. As with all EVs, the Bolt requires virtually no maintenance. Because electric motors are so reliable and electric drive systems have so few moving parts, it is very rare for an EV to “break down” or to require expensive repairs (unlike conventional internal combustion vehicles).
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Bolt and would highly recommend it.
