Chevrolet Bolt EV (Minor Change) and Bolt EUV

First launched in 2016, the Chevrolet Bolt EV is a full-fledged zero-emission electric car that envisions General Motors' commitment to reducing carbon emissions for many generations to come. Fast forward to the year 2021 and the Bolt EV received a minor change as well as the addition of the first-ever Bolt EUV, its crossover cousin.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV

The Bolt EV, Chevrolet's first and only fully-electric city car that feels almost irrelevant in today's America, received its big minor change for the 2022 model year, and judging by the looks of it, the new Bolt EV is now sharper looking than the pre-facelifted one, although the thinned headlamps gave us some Jeep Cherokee vibes. The first-ever Bolt EUV, meanwhile, looks almost the same as the facelifted Bolt EV but it's slightly bigger and it has a roof rack for a few reasons. Despite their size differences, they're still relatively small and easier to live with.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV interior

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV interior

The interior has been heavily revised in the latest version as well. On the dashboard, the touch screen spawned buttons on the left for the volume and radio stations while the climate control's whole again. On the downside, the gear lever from the pre-facelift is gone and replaced by switches. Who cares about it? It's an electric car, after all.

Although it is as comfy and spacious as the previous version, the Bolt EUV is slightly roomier in the back while the boot space is almost as good as its little brother. Either way, they're both great for all walks of life. All business, all pleasure. This is what they're made for.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV

Although new, the Bolt EV's electric powertrain with the 66kWh battery pack still produces 200hp of power and 360Nm of torque, capable of going from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and an EPA-estimated range of 259 miles in one full charge. The Bolt EUV still packs the same electric powertrain as its little brother but because it's slightly heavier than the Bolt EV, it's 0.5 seconds slower and 12 miles less in distance. At this rate, it will take over four and a half times to charge these little tykes while going on a road trip from Seattle to Los Angeles. 

Speaking of charging them, they're both come with an 11.5kW Level 2 Charging Capability and standard DC fast charging capability. At home, it will take about eight hours to fully charge the batteries like what civilized human beings need. At the nearest public charging station, meanwhile, it will take about two episodes of your favorite anime show to fully charge it. Better late than never.

Both models still feature the One-Pedal Driving feature that helps the driver transfer energy to the battery in many ways but they've added a new Sport Mode feature to make things more interesting. Cheesy but it's worth trying out even while driving through the tight spots of nearby apartment buildings in downtown Hollywood.

In terms of safety, both the Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV are equipped with Chevy Safety Assist, a wide array of safety features such as Lane Departure Warning, Rear Camera Mirror, Surround Vision, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, and Forward Collision Alert, among many other features that promise peace of mind for the occupants. Exclusive to the Bolt EUV is the shocking addition called Super Cruise, an available hands-free driver assistance technology that uses cameras and sensors for lane detection purposes and it's compatible in over 200,000 miles in the US and Canada. It's similar to Tesla's Autopilot feature in several ways but it's not foolproof so common sense is needed before giving this autonomous trick for a go.

Both the Bolt EV and the first-ever Bolt EUV are your go-to city cars fit for the new normal. Although irrelevant to today's America because Americans today prefer bigger cars, of course, it's still worth fun driving one of them, even if you're on a business trip. It's a great thing Chevrolet kept the only American city car alive in the midst of the new normal and the latest version is proof that it's still in business.

Photo: General Motors

Opel Ampera-e

As Europe is pushing towards an electrified future, more and more carmakers are prepping themselves by launching electric vehicles throughout the decade as their decisive ban on petrol and diesel powered vehicles within the next few decades is Europe's idea of a straight path towards a cleaner future. One such example is this car is known as the Ampera-e from Opel, an electric hatchback pinpoints Europe's electric future or is that what I think it is...

2018 Opel Ampera-e

2018 Opel Ampera-e

It maybe Europe's electric future but the way you observe it, the Ampera-e is basically a European version of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, meaning what's underneath behind the Opel badge is an American car with an electric powertrain that says "Hey Tesla, I'm your biggest fan?" and what's more about the Euro-American compact car is that while this car is sold in a majority of European markets, Great Britain is not on their list and you probably know why they didn't sell it as a Vauxhall. It's BREXIT to blame this case and it's odd despite the fact that it travelled from Piccadilly to Paris in one charge for a marketing ploy, Opel's reluctant to sell it in Britain as of right now due to worsening post-BREXIT conditions and I understand that. With Opel now owned by Peugeot, I'm sure they'll come up with the strategy in the hopes that Opels and Vauxhalls are sold as one in today's Europe, but right now, time to face reality.

2018 Opel Ampera-e interior

If you're familiar with how the Chevrolet Bolt EV looks on the outside and the inside, the same thing goes to the Ampera-e from Opel, just. The Bolt EV carries the concept car looks from the very beginning while the interior is more tech-savvy indeed for the millennials of the road. This is the same thing goes to the Ampera-e, and apart from the well-sculpted exterior and its high-tech interior, the space and legroom is just right enough to accommodate just about everyone.

2018 Opel Ampera-e

What about performance? Because this is sourced from the "fast food nation" as we know it, the Ampera-e's specifications are almost the same as the Bolt EV's. The electric motor that powers it generates a modest 150kW (204PS) of power output and 360Nm of torque. It does about 0-100kph in 7.3 seconds and top speed of 150kph, about 30kph slower than every known Japanese car on the road. Because being an electric car, you can get away from a set of lights quicker than the next car because there's no wheelspin start to worry about and who says electric cars are dull? Electric cars are smart, electric cars are cool, electric cars are great as long as you're not taking it for granted. Like the Bolt EV, the Ampera-e comes with Regen on Demand, which allows the driver to slow it down without using the actual brake pedal with just a shift of a paddle, and a One-Pedal Driving feature that helps the driver transfer energy to the battery in many ways. With such energy-efficient features, it's no wonder the Ampera-e has an full electric range of around 380km under WLTP regulations or 520km based on NEDC calculations.

Energy-wise, the Ampera-e also comes with a wide variety of safety tech such as  Lane Departure Warning, Rear Camera Mirror, Surround Vision, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, and Forward Collision Alert, among many other features that makes the electric compact ready for the road ahead.

The Opel Ampera-e is priced at 39,330 Euros, which sounds too much for a compact car of that size, but because of such limited availability in Europe, better have one while you still can because when they're out, they're really out.

With the Ampera-e, Opel joins the electric revolution as Europe prepares for a fossil fuel-free continent for years to come and despite its American connection, the Ampera-e is all about being prepared for the not-too-distant future with its future-ready economy, performance, and tech, that will accommodate today's drivers.

Photo: Opel

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Not to be confused with the Volt with the V (as in Victory) on it which is essentially a plug-in hybrid, the new Chevrolet Bolt EV, B as in Boy, by the way, is a full-fledged zero-emission electric car that envisions General Motors' commitment to reducing carbon emissions for many generations to come. So, what's it all about it, you may ask?

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV interior

First, let's take a look at the Bolt EV's futuristic design and while it looks appealing for a future-ready hatchback, the Bolt EV really fits the city roads of today due to its well-sculpted exterior and its high-tech interior that brings owners' perspectives into action and apart from its high-tech stuff loaded inside, it's generous spacing at the back means that it can accommodate just about your shopping mall hauls in a jiffy. Sure, you can toy the interior all you want but best not to waste its power on some nincompoops because while this is an electric car, it runs solely on electricity, and electricity has become the future for the automotive business. Nothing says business is booming.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

As an electric car, the Bolt EV promises an EPA-estimated 238 miles per charge, meaning that with so much mileage, you can go up to three or four days or more without needing to plug it in, Which means, you can drive this car while going to work and then charge it on Sundays, that's incredible but there's more to it than that because the Bolt EV comes with other features that manage its energy very well such as the Regen on Demand, which allows the driver to slow it down without using the actual brake pedal with just a shift of a paddle, and a One-Pedal Driving feature that helps the driver transfer energy to the battery in many ways. Oh, and did you know that despite being an electric car, the Bolt EV has 200HP of power output and 266lb-ft of torque, meaning that it can get from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, as fast as what hot hatches do. And like all electric cars, it can get a quick getaway without the wheelspin dilemma. Sneaky, huh? And there are many ways to charge the Bolt EV either at home or at the nearest charging station, as long as you are right on schedule.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Because the Bolt EV is built for the future, it's got numerous safety tech in store for the impressive little electric car such as Lane Departure Warning, Rear Camera Mirror, Surround Vision, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, and Forward Collision Alert, among many other features that promise peace of mind for the occupants.

The Bolt EV starts at 37,495 US Dollars but with federal tax credit applied in some states, it can be offered for less than 29,995 US Dollars. However, it's not easy to get the Bolt EV for your own because as of right now, Oregon and California are the only states selling the Bolt EV and by next year, more will be added soon but I'm not sure if those Bolt EVs can worth profitable now that the upcoming American leader is a big fan of coal, gas, and oil, which is the cornerstones of civilization now and forever. Whatever the political condition is, General Motors is on a risky gamble with these electric compacts.

Available colors: Silver Ice Metallic, Arctic Blue Metallic, Kinetic Blue Metallic, Orange Burst Metallic, Cajun Red Tintcoat, Nightfall Gray Metallic, and Mosaic Black Metallic.

Photo: General Motors