The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV’s Seven Secrets

When The Car Guide test-drove the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, we also got the chance to chat with one of the engineers behind the vehicle’s powertrain. Here are seven surprising facts we gleaned during our meet-up and at the media presentation.

1: A Canadian compressor
The Bolt EV units delivered to the U.S. won’t come with a compressor to inflate the tires, because the vehicle will be equipped with four-season Michelin Self-Seal tires, which can keep rolling even when punctured. In contrast, the Bolt EV models coming to Canada will feature a compressor because in Quebec (the province expected to buy the most Bolt EVs) there’s a law that requires winter tires, which are not all self-repairing or run-flat tires. Thus, a compressor will be included to inflate faulty winter tires, as well as spare summer tires that aren’t of the Michelin Self-Seal variety.

• Also: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV: King of a Whole New World
• Also: We’ll be Driving the Revolutionary 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV!

2: 87%
Not all Canadian dealers will sell or offer maintenance services for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. In Quebec, the province that sells the most electric vehicles in the country, 72 out of 83 Chevrolet dealers will sell the Bolt EV, which amounts to 87%. In contrast, 75% of Chevrolet dealers in Ontario will be up to the task. This number drops to 48% in British Columbia, and an unsurprising 0% in the Northwest Territories! To be fair, there’s just one Chevrolet dealer in the NWT, and it’s almost entirely dedicated to pickup trucks.

3: 27%
The Bolt EV weighs 1625 kilograms, with its battery pack coming in at 435 kg. A little math therefore indicates that the batteries account for nearly 27% of the vehicle’s total weight.

4: Hey look, a Sport mode!
Look at the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV’s dashboard and you’ll spot a Sport button. Don’t be fooled. All it does is make the accelerator a little more responsive. Even if you mash this button non-stop for hours, you’ll never turn your Bolt EV into a Corvette. (Note that this is our finding, and not a quote from the engineer or the media presentation.)

5: Nicknamed for clarity
Chevrolet makes two environmentally friendly vehicles, the Volt and the Bolt. There’s just one letter of difference—which really doesn’t help distinguish one from the other in a conversation! When you add an American drawl to the mix, it can be hard to tell which vehicle people are talking about. Since many of the engineers behind the Bolt have already worked on the Volt, they’ve come up with a simple system for preventing confusion. They refer to the one vehicle as the Chevrolet Volt and the other as the Bolt EV. That way, there are no misunderstandings!

6: Would you like a pedal with that?
When the regenerative brakes are activated using the paddle located behind the steering wheel’s left spoke, you can stop the Bolt EV on flat or slightly inclined surfaces without even touching the brake pedal. This immobilizes the vehicle. However, if you want to come to a complete stop on a steep hill (like the ones we braved in San Francisco), there isn’t enough engine torque to keep the vehicle immobilized. But in those cases, all you have to do is press the brake pedal once to come to a full halt. This same technique doesn’t work on downhill slopes, so the Bolt EV engineers are still working on that aspect.

7: A self-driving Bolt EV
A self-driving Bolt EV is in the works. Trials have already taken place in San Francisco, Scottsdale and Michigan. The tests in Michigan were primarily focussed on assessing the vehicle’s self-driving capabilities in winter conditions. The autonomous Bolt EV is still a long way from being ready for sale, but things can change pretty quickly in this field. After successfully setting new standards for electric vehicles by offering incredible range, the Bolt EV is preparing to go fully autonomous!

8: One thing that’s no secret!
Ok, so this is no secret, but we thought we’d point it out anyway: For the first time ever, an electric vehicle was named the North American Car of the Year—and you guessed it, the winner was the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. And—just sayin’—that was a few weeks after The Car Guide presented the Bolt EV with our prestigious Best New Car of the Year Award!