Jerry with his ride, a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier. He's the type of driver who does 50 on the fast lane and refuses to move aside even if there's another car tailgating and flashing its high beams and honking at him. Well, he can't go fast in it, as it's not a 625-horsepower beast like his mom's car. Jerry also thinks his EV is good for the environment while ignoring thousands of pounds of toxic material in the battery and how they're mined. And as a rideshare driver, Jerry will do anything for a decent tip and a five-star rating. Anything.

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Jerry's a 20 year old college student who moonlights as a Lyne (in-universe equivalent of Lyft) driver, so of course he needs an electric vehicle! The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier is the right vehicle for Jerry. It's cheap at only $33K, has more than enough range, decent performance for daily use, surprisingly spacious, and fast charging. As a rideshare driver, Jerry's passengers frequently appreciate the comfort and quietness of his Bolt EUV, and he gets charging discounts from Lyne. Though he doesn't make a lot of money from being a Lyne driver, because some people canceled the ride after finding out he's a fox★. Interestingly, Jerry notices most of his passengers are herbivore girls, and it's not rare they give Jerry their phone number and social media profile. Alas, the Bolt EUV is cheap to live with, Jerry doesn't need to go to the gas pump he forgot how to use it. As an EV, the Bolt EUV doesn't require regular oil changes too. Perhaps most importantly, his Bolt EUV is 100% zero emissions, and thus allowed to be driven in his campus area in a small town in Upstate New York; Fletcher University is quite liberal after all.

Being a rideshare driver, Jerry usually doesn't talk much unless his passenger is chatty. Jerry has had good and bad moments throughout his side hustle as a Lyne driver. On the plus side, he gets to meet a lot of interesting people, mostly herbivore girls, and he can make some money. But in a country where herbivores outnumber carnivores ten to one, Jerry is a frequent victim of speciesism. On one occasion, a male rabbit who ordered a Lyne for his daughter and got Jerry flat out canceled in front of him. He argued to Jerry that he believes his daughter isn't safe with him, a "meat eater savage." There's this time that a doe passenger said "I'm carrying an aggression-suppressor spray in my purse, just so you know." Another day, a sheep passenger said to Jerry "we need more good predators like you." While the guy probably meant well, this kind of statement is actually harmful to Jerry. Because that implied most carnivores are bad, and carnivores like Jerry disliked being called predators since it was a long, long time ago that predators feed on prey. Also, the term "carnivore" is more appropriate as it refers to their diet.

Anyway, the Bolt EUV is no Tesla, but it's one fine little electric "SUV," even though it's just a lifted hatchback. Granted, as an affordable EV, the Bolt EUV does feel cheap, the interior is rather plasticky, handling leaves a lot to be desired, and suspension setup makes the car bounce every time it hits a speed bump. But, that doesn't matter. This is Jerry's first car and it's supposed to be like that. At least the Bolt EUV is a thousand times better than his mom's first car, a 1976 Honda Civic she got in 1998. Judy bought the Bolt EUV in mid 2023 as an 18th birthday present for Jerry and a gift for him for graduating from high school. She considered the Hyundai IONIQ 5 or the Ford Cobra Mach-E* for Jerry, but she thought that those two are way too good and a little expensive for Jerry. The Nissan LEAF was also considered, but its dismal range and unconventional charging connector made Judy avoid it. The Bolt EUV's performance is also average so it means it's safer for Jerry. Judy bought the optional Super Cruise hands free driving tech as she wants Jerry to be safe.

Jerry has owned his Bolt EUV for almost two years now and it has clocked 10,000 miles on the odometer. The battery capacity is at 94% after two years of regular use. Jerry rarely drives faster than 60 mph to conserve the battery, and Jerry only charges to 80% unless he's returning home to his hometown of Willowfield, New Jersey, around 220 miles away from his college. When he's not moonlighting as a Lyne driver, Jerry turns off the air conditioning, infotainment, and driver assistance systems to maximize the range. It's super nice to not pay for gas and oil changes, to be able to drive his car in the campus area, and to tell the world that he's eco-conscious. Unfortunately, Jerry's friends often make jokes about his Bolt EUV, one saying that his girlfriend's toys have more power than it, another asked why would a handsome fox like Jerry drive around in a cheap EV. Jerry doesn't care however. He also customized his Bolt EUV with Rotiform FTD wheels, and Hankook iON evo AS SUV tires to replace the OEM Michelin tires, which he found to be noisy. Jerry loves his Bolt EUV, such a fun small EV.

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Character: Jerry Reinard ©  An Orange Space Cat

Art by  tony07734123/KangWolf

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★As part of its Species Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (SIDE) efforts, Lyne once hid the driver's profile picture and last name. So that the passenger won't know the driver's species. But this was pulled back after a while due to "safety concerns" and severe backlash and boycott from conservatives.

*The Ford Mustang is called the Ford Cobra in-universe because I can't figure out how vehicles named after animals work in my universe. And in the JudyJudith'a Universe of Anthropomorphic Animals the only sentient animals are mammals with the exception of primates, egg-laying, and flying and aquatic mammals. So the "animals" there in addition to those mammals are reptiles, lizards, birds, avians, insects, and fishes.

And yes, that title was meant to be a double entendre, lol. Jerry is bi. And the Bolt EUV is spacious for its size 😉