Chevrolet Bolt EV vs Kia Niro EV

Electric vehicles are the future. Even racing and off-road enthusiast have accepted this reality with the knowledge that EVs can be fun and engaging. We’ll lose the smell and the sounds, but one of the key purposes of racing is to improve the breed, so why not welcome the transition to electric propulsion?

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV could not be further from an enthusiast vehicle, but it’s just as important—if not more so—to the auto industry. Introduced for the 2017 model year and updated for 2022, the Bolt EV is the tip of GM’s EV spear. More EVs are coming, but it all starts here.

For 2020, the Bolt EV's range was increased to 259 miles. That carries over to 2022, and the Bolt EV gets standard DC fast charging as well, making it a more realistic option for more car shoppers. But is it enough to get you to make the leap to EV?

The 2023 Kia Niro enters its second generation with fresh styling and numerous mechanical and tech updates, but it still offers a choice of three powertrains, with the Niro Hybrid, Niro EV, and Niro PHEV plug-in hybrid all returning for 2023. That means a change in focus for the all-electric Niro EV, which is the subject of this review.

The first-generation Niro EV was Kia’s first mass-market electric car not based on an existing gasoline model (the Soul EV paved the way for it). But the redesigned 2023 Kia Niro EV now shares the lineup with the Kia EV6. That model takes aim at more premium EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Nissan Ariya, leaving the Niro EV to compete with entry-level models, such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, Volkswagen ID.4, and Nissan’s Leaf.

Available in all 50 states, the 2023 Niro EV launches in whimsically named Wind and Wave trim levels. We spent some time in the higher-level Wave version for this review.