Nothing zaps the range of an EV quite like winter. But how bad is it? Join me on a few trips with a Chevy Bolt EV, and we'll find out.

One thing to note: The Chevy Bolt EV does not have a heat pump in its HVAC system. This was a rather disppointing omission on GM's part, though as a forum member I ran across once had pointed out, if GM had $1000 to spend, should they make a heat pump or make the battery larger? Anyway, a heat pump would be great however in a bitterly cold scenario like the zero degree drive we did with the car, the heat pump wouldn't have helped that much. So a heat pump would greatly improve range to a point, after which resistive heat would be required anyway.

Along those lines, I think the EPA should consider overhauling their rating system to give a range estimate in winter conditions. Going from 238 down to 170 is a significant drop, and one that should be explained to the purchaser of an EV. As an EV enthusiast (and with experience with the Volt) I knew what sort of range loss to expect. When my parents were shopping for their next car, we used a range of 150 miles as a worst-case estimate, and found that this would fit pretty much every need they had.

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