Beyond Android: A look at the Chevrolet Bolt prototype

We’re already deep into bringing you some in-depth coverage of Android Auto from the Chevrolet tech event in Detroit. We’ve gotten to take a close look at the all-new Chevrolet Spark running Android Auto, as well as the powerful Chevrolet Volt battery. Now we’re taking a look at the Chevrolet Bolt EV prototype – an all-electric vehicle that might come equipped with Android Auto when it comes to market, but more on that later. Our very own Darcy LaCouvee got the chance to interview the company about this new futuristic car and what we can expect to see from it in the coming months.

The new Chevrolet Bolt

The Chevrolet Bolt will be released to market sometime next year with the starting price of only $30,000. Now that may seem like a lot, but that’s roughly half of the price of the Tesla Model S electric car. The low price of the Bolt isn’t the only thing to look forward to, though. Chevy also just announced that the vehicle is capable of traveling over 200 miles on a single charge. For comparison’s sake, the Model S can travel somewhere between 208 and 270 miles on one charge. Chevrolet also says that the Bolt will be able to reach an 80% charge in just about 45 minutes.

Before we go any further, we should clarify that we’re talking about the completely-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV, not the Chevrolet Volt that’s known for its electric and gas driving capabilities. And since the consumer-ready Bolt won’t be released until sometime next year, the Chevrolet representative tells us that the model we checked out is similar to the retail unit.

So, what about Android Auto?

One of the big announcements that we’re still waiting on is whether or not the Bolt will come with Android Auto. While we don’t have any exclusive information regarding the announcement, the Chevrolet representative explained that one of the aspects of the vehicle that’s most exciting is the level of connectivity that this car is going to bring. While Android Auto wasn’t specifically mentioned, it can be inferred that the Bolt might come to market running Android. The representative also says that the Bolt will bring some features to market that have “never been done before”, so we’ll have to wait and see just what the company plans to do in the future.

Looking ahead

Okay, so we don’t have any confirmation (yet) about Android Auto in the consumer-ready Bolt, but we did get to talk a little about the initial stages of Android Auto and how future Chevrolet vehicles might adapt to the ever-growing smartphone space. Looking back to the first versions of Android, iOS and Windows, we’ve seen an incredible amount of improvement in the way we use our mobile devices, and the same could be said for the current state of Android Auto.

You see, even though car manufacturers are on a tight schedule to get cars ready for market, a smartphone’s standard development time is significantly shorter. In turn, expecting that an auto maker would be able to stay on top the latest and greatest smartphone tech would be near impossible. Chevrolet says it’s working with both Google and Apple to be able to quickly adopt this shorter timeframe into its vehicles. Again, we didn’t get any specifics about Chevy’s advancements, so we’ll have to stay tuned to see what the company says in the future.

“We want to be the leaders in connectivity”, says the Chevrolet representative, “We understand how important that is and how easy it makes your car life, and that’s what we’re set out to do. Make it effortless.”

Signing off

Before you head out, be sure to check out our full interview at the top of this page. Have you considered purchasing an electric car? If so, have you looked into any of Chevrolet’s offerings? Also be sure to check out more videos form the Chevrolet tech event, which are attached below.

• Beyond Android: a look at the Chevrolet Volt battery
• Interview with Chevrolet: Android Auto plans
• Chevrolet Spark running Android Auto: hands-on first look