The Chevrolet Bolt is the first all-electric vehicle to earn a 2017 award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The small car is new for the 2017 model year. Unlike the Chevrolet Volt, it has no back-up gas engine.
The Chevrolet Bolt earns good ratings in all five of the Institute’s crashworthiness tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. It also has an optional front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating.
The car avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the system has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.
To earn a Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must have good ratings in all five crashworthiness tests and an available front crash prevention system with a superior or advanced rating. Vehicles that meet those criteria and also have good or acceptable headlights earn Top Safety Pick+.
The Bolt is available only with poor-rated headlights. They provide fair to good visibility but produce excessive glare for oncoming drivers.
