The Bolt EUV is GM’s first application of SAE Level 2 Super Cruise driver-assistance tech outside of the Cadillac brand. (Chevrolet)

2022 Bolt EUV: Super Cruise comes to Chevy

An interstate drive brings mixed impressions of GM’s SAE Level 2 driver assist system in Chevrolet’s new SUV variant of the Bolt.

General Motors has made the first step toward democratizing Super Cruise, its SAE Level 2 driver-assist system that is designed to reduce driver workload during long trips. In summer 2021, Super Cruise will be available on “Premier” (top trim) versions of Chevrolet’s new 2022 Bolt EUV. SAE’s Automotive Engineering recently drove a pre-production EUV equipped with Super Cruise in busy 80-mph (129-km/h) interstate traffic – an ideal scenario for evaluating a vehicle’s ADAS capabilities on the freeway. Impressions were mixed.

About this newest Bolt: Don’t pronounce it eyoove. The EUV is the quasi-utility version of the Bolt EV sedan, with unique exterior styling and no shared body panels. The “U” model SUV has a 6-in. (152-mm) longer wheelbase and 3 in. (76 mm) more rear-seat leg room than its sister EV. But the EUV’s measured cargo volume with rear seat folded  actually is a few square-millimeters less. And its rear end tapers in between the thick C pillars, which also will limit the vehicle’s hauling capability.

Bolt EUV’s curb weight, 3,679-lb (1,669-kg), is 90 lb (41 kg) heavier than the Bolt EV mainly due to its larger bodyshell, according to EUV program engineering manager Rob Mantinan. Some 947 lb (430 kg) of the EUV’s mass is the 65-kW-h, liquid-cooled, 288-cell lithium-ion battery pack that is common to the two Bolts. They also share the single permanent-magnet traction motor rated at 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) driving the front axle. The EUV’s extra mass reduces its estimated driving range by nine miles (14.5 km) compared with the smaller, lighter Bolt’s estimated 259 miles (416 km).

Super Cruisin’ Chevy
In terms of sensor hardware, “This is essentially the same Super Cruise system used in the [2020] Cadillac CT6,” noted Mantinan, who was along on the media drive. Both Chevy and Cadillac applications are based on an array of exterior radars and cameras, an inertial sensor and a small optical/infrared camera on the steering column to monitor driver attention. The high-definition 3D maps that determine Super Cruise’s operating domain are updated monthly in collaboration with GM’s mapping partner, Ushr. They now cover more than 200,000 miles (322,000 km) of enabled U.S. and Canadian roads, up from 130,000 miles (209,000 km) in 2019. Routes remain restricted to divided roadways.

The Bolt EUV’s Super Cruise features a new, second-generation driver monitoring camera that is more effectively shielded against infrared waves of sunlight entering through the backlite and rear side windows. In the original 2018 CT6 application, intruding low-angle rays would intermittently disengage the system. “We conducted a sunlight study with a supplier, identified the wavelengths that are least obtrusive, and designed the new camera around them,” explained Mantinan.

The 2022 Bolt application, however, will not include Super Cruise’s new automated-lane-change function that is optional on 2021 Cadillac sedans and the Escalade SUV. The lane-change iteration is enabled by GM’s new Global-B electrical architecture that is not yet used in the Bolt EV platform, according to company engineers. Over-the-air updates for Super Cruise also are due to appear first in the Cadillac applications.

So, how does Chevy’s first Super Cruiser, and a battery-electric one at that, perform? Soon after our media convoy of six Bolt EUVs were quietly up to speed on southbound U.S. I-275 headed toward Toledo, Ohio, the system showed the ease of operation and clarity in its visual cues that earned Super Cruise widespread praise in the Cadillacs.

However, in the author’s view, hands-off-the-wheel motoring with any advanced ADAS or AV system isn’t “relaxing”—particularly when finding oneself boxed in at speed between giant stone haulers, their tandem trailers wagging ominously close to the center-lane lines. Total trust in the vehicle in such road situations is vital, even when your hands are gripping the wheel. Few of us not working directly in AV programs have sufficient seat time to enjoy that trust.

At freeway velocity, with hands off the wheel and eyes fixed on the road ahead (per Super Cruise dictum), there was some pronounced yaw and lateral motion in the Bolt EUV. Not alarming, but the vehicle did not feel planted within its lane. To our seat-of-pants gauge, it was constantly adjusting position in varying degrees.

By comparison, the CT6 with Super Cruise upgrades we drove in early 2020 was a Rock of Gibraltar on the freeway – its lane-centering was exemplary. That the Bolt EUV felt a bit agitated in driver-assist mode is likely related to its B-segment dimensions: the 105.3-in. (2675-mm) wheelbase is 17 inches (432 mm) shorter than that of the Cadillac CT6. The little EV also is more than four inches (100 mm) narrower than CT6. Expect algorithmic refinements to improve Bolt EUV’s hands-off poise on the highway, prior to its arrival at dealers this summer.

Charging changes
Both the 2022 Bolt EV and EUV now are capable of 11-kW Level 2 charging. A new ‘dual level’ charge cord, standard on EUV (and optional on the Bolt EV) has swappable plugs to enable charging using a standard 120-V three-prong outlet or Level 2 (240-V) charging by simply changing the plug on the cord. (Some mid-priced MIG welders have offered similar plug/voltage versatility for years).

As a bonus, Chevy is collaborating with Qmerit to cover standard installation of Level 2 charging capability for eligible customers who purchase or lease a 2022 Bolt EUV or Bolt EV. GM’s strategy is to make at-home charging more convenient, faster and effective.Both of the 2022 Bolt models beat the outgoing Bolt EV in retail price. The Bolt EUV’s U.S. retail base price is $33,995. The EV starts at $31,995 – undercutting the ’21 model by more than $5,000. Super Cruise as part of the Premier package on EUV is $2,200.

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