While electric vehicles are getting more versatile and more realistic daily driver propositions by the year as manufacturers continually develop them, used examples that have seen their value drop considerably are generally still best suited for the city. Their limited ranges aren’t such a handicap when you’re spending most of your time threading between traffic and through tight city streets, while trips tend to last only ten or twenty miles as opposed to north of 200. Their instant torque and lack of a conventional gearbox also make driving in cities more straightforward and less frustrating than a normal car most of the time.

If purchasing an EV for this reason sounds tempting, then you’d be better off buying one built precisely to thrive in that environment. One of the best tricks in the trade is opting for the first-generation Chevrolet Bolt, for a particularly interesting reason that makes them excellent value. As long as you know what to look for.

Used Low-Mileage Bolts Are Selling For Ridiculous Money

Chevrolet

While having to accept high mileage EVs can be a common drawback when trying to get a decent used deal, no such compromise needs to be made when looking at used Bolts. It wasn’t a particularly expensive vehicle when it was new, with final model year 2023 specimens selling for $26,500 in their entry-level 1LT spec, while better-equipped 2LT machines retailed for $29,700. If you thought that was a decent deal on paper, given the Bolt kicked out a handy 200 horsepower and managed a solid 238 miles on a single charge, then that’s nothing compared to what they are used.

According to The CarBuzz Marketplace, 2023 vehicles have an average used value of just $18,382 in base spec, and $21,550 in 2LT form. The savings get even better if you opt for older pre-facelift examples, which don’t come with the revised exterior styling and cabin that the 2022 and 2023 Bolts get.