This might be the most definitive proof yet that electric vehicles, even ones that aren’t designed to be sporty, have serious performance potential.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV has made a lot of noise in the automotive industry, especially for a car that doesn’t make any actual noise. But if its claim to fame as the first long-range EV on the market doesn’t make it appealing to you, perhaps a drag race between a Bolt and a Volkswagen Golf GTI will.
The Fast Car Lane recently posted a video, in which it pitted the 200-horsepower Bolt against the 210-horsepower GTI, one of the true hot-hatch benchmarks. TFCL ran the race three times and despite weighing roughly 500 pounds more than the VW, the Chevy puts up more of a fight than you might expect.
The finishes admittedly were closer than they could have been, when you account for poor launches and one or two less-than-perfect gear changes.
That said, the Bolt is Chevy’s first crack at making an EV that’s suitable for daily use, whereas VW has been refining the Golf for roughly 40 years. Imagine how the GTI will fare if Chevy ever makes a hot Bolt.
