2020 Chevy Bolt EV 70 MPH Highway Range Test: Part 2

Because one Bolt range test wasn’t enough!

How far can a 2020 Chevy Bolt EV go at highway speeds? We put two 2020 Bolt EVs to the test by two different InsideEVs writers in different states to see just how similar the results will be. A few days ago we posted the results of the first test, conducted in North Carolina by Kyle Connor.

A few days after Kyle’s test, I set out in New Jersey, also with a 2020 Bolt EV, to see just far I could go driving at a constant 70 mph, just as Kyle did. I was unaware of Kyle’s results when I was doing my range test. It turns out that Kyle was able to drive the Bolt EV until it stopped moving, and went 228.7 miles. 

I used the Bolt’s cruise control set at 70 mph (which I verified by GPS), had the tires filled to the recommended 38 psi, and had the car in drive. I did switch it to low gear when I was exiting the highway to turn around and on a couple of occasions when traffic forced me to slow down a bit, but that only happened 3 or 4 times and lasted for less than a minute each time. 

I wasn’t able to drive the car until it stopped, but I was able to get it down to 1% state of charge before plugging in. I do my range tests driving up and down the New Jersey Turnpike, and have to base how long my loops are on where charging stations are located, so I can end up with a very low state of charge, just as I arrive at the station. I’ve gotten pretty good at doing that, and can usually pull up to the site with less than 2% SOC. 

Halfway into the test I’d driven 104 miles and the Bolt’s range estimator showed another 104 miles of range to go.