2027 Chevy Bolt Test Shows Significant Range Gains at 60 Mph

A new highway range test conducted by State of Charge host Tom Moloughney demonstrates that driving the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt at a steady 60 mph yields significantly more range than higher speeds.

What Happened

Moloughney drove his 2027 Chevy Bolt on the New Jersey Turnpike from 100% to 0% charge at a constant 60 mph. Under ambient temperatures between 52 and 63 degrees Fahrenheit with light traffic, the vehicle traveled 280.3 miles. This distance exceeded the EPA's claimed highway range of 232 miles by nearly 50 miles and approached the EPA's city range estimate of 294 miles. The test utilized the Bolt's 65 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and resulted in an average efficiency of 4.1 miles per kWh.

The same vehicle was tested at 70 mph and 80 mph to compare efficiency. At 70 mph, the Bolt achieved a total range of 243.1 miles with an average consumption of 3.6 miles per kWh. At 80 mph, the range dropped to 219.3 miles, with efficiency falling to 3.2 miles per kWh. The source notes that while temperatures were warmer during the 70 mph and 80 mph tests, the difference was not significant enough to drastically alter the outcomes compared to the 60 mph run.

Why It Matters

The data highlights the substantial impact of speed on electric vehicle efficiency, particularly for models like the Bolt where highway driving consumes energy at a higher rate. The difference between the 60 mph and 70 mph tests was approximately 37 miles, while the gap between 60 mph and 80 mph was nearly 61 miles. For drivers, this suggests that maintaining a lower highway speed can provide a buffer of over 40 miles compared to driving at 70 mph, potentially reducing the frequency of charging stops or alleviating range anxiety on longer trips.

The Bottom Line

The 2027 Chevy Bolt demonstrated a range of 280.3 miles at 60 mph, compared to 243.1 miles at 70 mph and 219.3 miles at 80 mph, underscoring the efficiency benefits of lower highway speeds.