Electric vehicles (EVs) are steadily taking over the automotive industry. But most of them are priced like luxury cars. There are, however, a handful of electric cars you can find for under $35,000.
If you want to go electric without breaking the bank in 2023, the best buy on the market is the Chevrolet Bolt EUV. It wins our 2023 Best Buy Award in the affordable EV class.
With a starting price of $27,800 (plus a mandatory $995 destination fee), the Bolt EUV packs a lot of space into a small hatchback’s footprint. Its 247-mile range will easily meet the daily needs of most drivers. And, while few affordable hatchbacks inspire thoughts of spirited driving, the Bolt EUV offers a surprising amount of scoot for the money.
How We Decide
Our editors spend all year evaluating cars for our annual Best Buy Awards.
We test drive more than 300 vehicles yearly to write our detailed reviews.
We flag those that combine affordability, dependability, reliability, and low ownership and operating costs as possible award winners. Our data analysts then take a detailed look at the financial aspects of owning each. They calculate the 5-Year Cost to Own, factoring in depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees, and taxes.
Finally, we bring the best contenders in for head-to-head testing.
This year, we gave awards in 19 categories. We broke the EV category into two awards: Best Electric Vehicle, and Best Electric Vehicle Under $35,000. The average EV, in December, sold for $61,448 — not far below the price of the average luxury car.
That’s more than many buyers want to spend. But, thanks to economies of scale, the cost of the average EV is starting to come down. Buyers now have a few solid options for under $35,000.
We found the Bolt EUV to be the best of them.
A Bigger Bolt
Chevrolet now makes its Bolt electric car in two sizes. The Bolt EV is the one you may be used to — it’s been on the road since 2016. The Bolt EUV is a stretched version with more rear-seat space and added cargo capacity.
Our test drivers found that adults with a height of over 6 feet can fit comfortably in both rows of seats. The interior is lined with high-quality materials and laid out for convenience. Many EV manufacturers place almost all audio and climate controls behind touchscreen menus, so the driver has to look away from the road to make even minor adjustments. But Chevy designers thoughtfully included traditional knobs for some controls.
Speaking of controls, the most remarkable thing about the Bolt EUV may be that you can occasionally let go of them. Hands-free highway driver assists are usually exclusive to luxury cars, but GM makes its Super Cruise system, which can steer the car for you on about 200,000 miles of pre-mapped highways (soon to be 400,000), an option on the Bolt EUV.
Best of all, the Bolt makes financial sense. KBB expects the 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV to maintain 54% of its residual value after 36 months — more than most affordable EVs.
