Chevrolet Bolt Named North American Car of the Year

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. (Image courtesy of GM.)

The Chevrolet Bolt EV may be whisper-quiet, but it made quite a noise blasting past the competition at the North American Car of the Year Awards (NACTOY). The awards, which recognize the most outstanding vehicles of the year, are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from Canada and the United States.

The jury awarded 364 points to the Bolt—putting it miles ahead of the Hyundai Genesis G90 sedan, which was awarded second place with 105 points.

According to Lauren Fix, NACTOY board director and juror, this is the first time an all-electric car has won Car of the Year. “I believe the Chevy Bolt EV is a game changer for General Motors and for the auto industry,” she said.

The Bolt has also won 2017 Motor Trend Car of the Year, Green Car Journal’s 2017 Green Car of the Year and was named one of Car & Driver's 2017 10 Best Cars.

The Bolt is notable for its EPA-certified range of 238 miles on a charge. That’s more than twice the range of other electric vehicles in its class.

GM optimized the Bolt’s range with improved regenerative braking. With a pull of the “Regen on Demand” paddle on the steering wheel, drivers can slow down without using the brake pedal, transferring energy back to the battery. Used in combination with certain driving modes, drivers can slow down— and even come to a complete stop—without using the brakes at all. This “one-pedal driving” not only prevents energy from being lost to friction on the brake pads, but also helps preserve the brakes.

(Image courtesy of GM.)

The Bolt also boasts 200 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque, enabling it to run 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. For the tech-savvy, the interactive 10.2-inch color touchscreen can be used to navigate, play music and retrieve information. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi are also available.

All this with a price tag of USD $29,995 after tax credits—half the price of an entry-level Tesla.

The awards were announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Accepting the award was Mark Reuss, GM’s Executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain.

“General Motors is committed to lead and mass-produce attainable, high value, and exciting electric vehicles,” said Reuss, calling the Bolt “our springboard for the future.”

With this award-winning EV available to the masses, the future looks electric.

Would you take a Bolt over a Tesla Model 3? Comment below.