5 things you need to know about the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The Chevy Bolt EV is a transformative vehicle. Not only is it going to be the first EV to sell  in Canada for $30,406 Starting MSRP (after $12,389 incentives, in Ontario) and will have a EPA-estimated KM range on a full charge.

Here are five things to know about the Bolt EV and the new era of electrified emissions-free driving it ushers in.

1) There are three ways to charge the Chevy Bolt EV via its 7.2 kilowatt onboard charging module.

Basic or Level 1 is plugging into your standard home 110V socket. 6.5 EV kms per hour of charge and you'll need to charge every day.

Fast or (Level 2) for home or public stations gives about 40 EV kms per hour of charge and you'll need to do it every few days.

Super Fast (DC Fast Charging) will be available on public stations only and offers 1145 EV kms of range in 30 mins of charge.

2) According to the Government of Ontario, as of July 2016 there are 121 Level 2 chargers and 25 Level 3 chargers in Toronto. You can view the charging station locations across Canada on a number of different websites including CAA and Plug Share.  The Bolt’s myChevrolet mobile app also has the capability of finding the closest charging station for the EV owner.

3) The all-new 60 kWh lithium ion battery pack has an 8-year/160,000-km warranty. With a guaranteed minimum of 65% of original capacity at the end of the warranty.

4) Maintainance of EVs is very different from regular cars. When I asked Chevy engineers which parts of the Bolt EV would require maintainance and regular replacement they said 'maybe the brake pads?" 

EV's like the Bolt don't need oil and coolant, no hoses, spark plugs or filters to be replaced. The big difference is that the high-technology of EVs can only be maintained or repaired by your dealer's mechanics.

5) There will be a total of 211 Bolt EV dealers in Canada. Ontario will have the most with 101, Quebec will have 72 and British Columbia will have 22.