There's a lot to love about the Chevy Bolt, GM's first long range, affordable all-electric car.
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There are the best features in the all-electric Chevy Bolt (GM)
General Motors' first all-electric long-range vehicle is high-tech and affordable.
... but it's far from a design disaster. The vehicle, developed by GM's South Korea arm, is aimed at buyers who appreciate a functional, versatile vehicle that also happens to be all-electric.
It has a range of 238 miles per charge, a top speed of 91 mph, and costs about $37,500 before a $7,500 federal tax credit.
GM began production of its vehicle last year, beating Tesla to the punch for creating the first mass market, electric vehicle. Tesla plans to launch its first affordable, long-range vehicle, dubbed the Model 3, at the end of 2017.
While that's impressive on its own, the vehicle has a number of other impressive features that make it appealing.
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We recently had the chance to speak with Stuart Norris, the Bolt's lead designer. Norris walked us through some of the car's best tech and design features.
There's a 10.2-inch touch-screen display infotainment center and an 8-inch display in the driver's console.
The main display, which is customizable, serves as the control center for most functions inside the vehicle.
The design of the
The middle console provides wireless charging and lots of storage.
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There are two USB ports in the console so you can plug in your smartphone to connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But there's also quite a bit of storage in the center console.
The car is always connected via low-energy Bluetooth, allowing the driver to be connected to the car via the app at all times.
Chevrolet's mobile app lets drivers check on the vehicle's charge, remotely start their car, and precondition the cabin, among other things. The car's key fob also uses Bluetooth for keyless entry and ignition.
The Bolt features five cameras: one on the front, one on each side mirror, a 360 camera, and a regular back-up camera.
While charging, the car gains about 25 miles in range every hour. The car can fully charge in nine hours with a 240-volt unit.
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The "lane keep assist" feature will help drivers avoid accidents.
The seats are very thin, which helps the car to feel more spacious on the inside.
Five people can comfortably fit in the car. When the back seats are pushed forward, there is almost 57 cubic feet of cargo space.
Norris said they were able to shave about an inch of thickness out of the seatbacks, which helps provide more room.
It looks and feels like a crossover.
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"Electric vehicles can sometimes have somewhat of an insubstantial feel on the road, but the Bolt EV looks very strong and solid on the ground," he said.
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