After much anticipation, Chevy unveiled its new Bolt EV today at CES. Yes, one of the largest automakers in the world has debuted a vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show. These are indeed strange times we live in.

The big deal about Chevy’s Bolt is that — unlike competing electric vehicles — it’s expected to get up to 200 miles on a single charge and cost less than $30,000. In other words it will cost less than a Tesla, and get more mileage out of a charge than Nissan’s Leaf.

The price-point and range make many in the auto industry see the Bolt as the first truly consumer-friendly electric vehicle.

Related: More coverage of CES 2016.

How friendly is it in actual use? To find out, I spent some time driving the Bolt around a course set up in a parking lot outside the Las Vegas Convention Center. The verdict: I was impressed.

Not what you’d expect

As with all electrics, acceleration is extremely quick. And, since there is no transmission, you never hear or feel any gear shifts.

Like BMW’s i3, the Bolt offers one-pedal drive which, when active, automatically slows the vehicle to a stop whenever you take your foot off the “gas.” Doing so even recharges the Bolt’s battery, thanks to its regenerative brake.

It’s jarring to use though, as it causes the car to brake rather aggressively. Fortunately, the feature is only active when you switch the shifter into Low. In Standard drive, you activate regenerative braking by pulling on a paddle to the left of the steering wheel.

(Speaking of the battery: According to Chevy, the Bolt can charge from empty on a standard 120-volt outlet in 36 hours. With a 240-volt outlet (the same kind you’d plug a washer or drier into), the Bolt will charge from empty in just two hours. And if you use DC fast charging, you can charge the car in an hour and a half.)

Inside, the Bolt is deceptively roomy, thanks to some innovative space-saving features.

The seats, for example, have been designed to add an extra inch of legroom for backseat passengers. To achieve this, engineers used just 10 millimeters of padding on the Bolt’s seats and a special plastic membrane with a suspension system that absorbs bumps and bounces while driving. The result is a driver’s seat that’s far thinner than your average driver’s seat, yet surprisingly comfortable (at least it was during my short time in the car).

There’s plenty of room in the back seats, too; even the trunk is relatively large for a car of the Bolt’s size. The Bolt is basically a clown car in that respect.

User interface

Of course, a high-tech car needs a slick dashboard interface. The Bolt certainly checks that box.