How To Use The Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV's Regenerative Braking System
General Motors has released a video instructing owners of the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV on how to get the most out of the compact car's standard regenerative braking system.
Regenerative braking is an important tool for EV owners, as it can extend the vehicle's range by harvesting the kinetic energy from the car's inertia and feeding it into the battery. The Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV both feature on-demand regenerative braking that is controlled via the steering wheel-mounted paddles. When the vehicle is coasting and the driver wishes to use regenerative braking to slow the vehicle, they can pull the paddle to activate the system, at which point the electric motor will begin harvesting energy and the vehicle will start to scrub speed.Â
The Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV also feature seamless regenerative braking when in the standard 'Drive' mode, which will use a smaller amount of regenerative braking to slow the vehicle when the driver lifts off the accelerator pedal, without them having to pull the steering wheel paddle. The user can adjust the strength of the automatic regenerative braking, with four regenerative braking levels to choose from. The Bolt EV and Bolt EUV also feature one-pedal driving, which allows the user to rapidly slow the vehicle by simply lifting off the accelerator.Â
Mastering regenerative braking can be important tool for extending the range of an electric vehicle and will therefore be a skill that many drivers will learn to master as more EVs begin to hit the market in the coming years. While the only Chevy models it's currently offered on are the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, similar regenerative braking control systems will likely appear in the Chevy Equinox EV, Chevy Silverado EV and other future EV models from the brand.Â
Power in the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV comes from a single, front axle-mounted electric motor rated at 201 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, which receives energy from a 65 kWh lithium-ion battery. This setup provides an estimated driving range of 416 kilometers in the Bolt EV and 397 kilometers in the slightly larger Bolt EUV.
Check out the video above to learn how to get the most out of the regenerative braking system in the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV.Â
By: Sam Mcearchern - April 8, 2022