The future probably won’t look like this, but who knows?
The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt‘s official EPA figures are public, and there’s a useful change from the 2019 model. Specifically, the Bolt EV now has 259 miles of range — 21 more than it had before. Car and Driver noted the 8 percent bump leapfrogs the Bolt ahead of its main rivals like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV. The 259-mile figure also puts Chevrolet ahead of the Standard Range Tesla Model 3, which has a range of 240 miles.
For the moment, Chevy hasn’t said exactly what changes they’ve made to improve the Bolt’s range. Although, word through the grapevine, per Car and Driver, is that this 2020 model has different battery chemistry. The company hasn’t released official details on the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV just yet.
With the Bolt’s improved range, the next in line is now the 258-mile Hyundai Kona Electric. Below that, there’s the 243-mile Kia Soul EV, the 240-mile Tesla Model 3 Standard Range, and the 239-mile Kia Niro EV. Of course, Tesla does offer longer range variants of the Model 3, boosting the distance to 310 miles, which makes the more expensive models the range leaders in this class.
Even so, the Chevy Bolt competes more against the price of its competitors listed above. Chevrolet hasn’t announced pricing for the 2020 Bolt yet, but it may end up a little more expensive with more range. As it stands, the 2019 model starts at $37,495 before any applicable discounts or tax credits, but that price does include Chevy’s $875 destination fee.
That price does make it a bit less expensive than the $38,045 Hyundai Kona Electric. It’s also less expensive than the $39,045 Kia Niro EV and the Standard Range Tesla Model 3, which currently starts at $38,990.
Check out more on the Chevy Bolt below, as we pitch the future against the past. In this case, it was a Volkswagen Golf GTI: