General Motors manufactured their first long-range electric car and it is already a bitter rival to Tesla.
According to the GM’ Chevrolet, the range of the new Bolt will be 238 miles on one charge. On the other hand, the range of Tesla’s Model 3 is supposed to be 215 miles per charge. This means that Chevrolet is beating Tesla at its own game. Moreover, Model 3 will probably be found on the market next year.
Bolt’s starting price will be about $37,500 which is more or less an expected price for Model 3 which is their first mass-market vehicle. Nowadays, only luxury cars are sold by this company. The range of the Model S electric sedan varies from 218 to 315 miles per charge.
The new five-passenger hatchback, Chevrolet Bolt could steal the thunder from Tesla in the same way Chevrolet Volt was the lead model among plug-in hybrids. However, there are already around 400,000 pre-orders for Model 3.
In the words of an analyst for Kelley Blue Book, Karl Brauer, “The Chevrolet Bolt represents the first ‘real’ electric car in the history of the automobile” So far, the electric cars have either registered a range of about 100 miles or less or, their price has been over the roof.
Bauer also said:” “Now the Bolt arrives with a real-world range and real-world price. This combination doesn’t guarantee success, but it will finally put EV technology to a real-world test in appealing to real-world, mainstream consumers.”
At first sight, Bolt which is produced in a factory near Detroit is a quite car with enough room in the cabin. Moreover, this car is comfortable and the feeling while driving it is no different than the feeling when you are behind the wheel of some other hatchback or sedan.
However, the differences do exist. The button on the steering wheel, a driver can press, can stop the car instead of using brakes, which alongside the drivetrain were manufactured in a way to regain energy for maximum range.
In order to maximize range, the engineers reduced the Bolt’s weight. According to the chief engineer Josh Tavel, even the seats are lighter with less cushion but with more springs than the average seat. Tavel said:” There’s a ton of data that says a 200-mile range is the point at which there’s a big change in the number of people to switch to an electric vehicle. It’s all about customer convenience.”
The space for cargo and passengers is increased by planting the batteries in a thin layer under the car floor. Furthermore, in spite of the tall profile of the car, the handling is improved because the center of gravity is lowered more than an inch.
The Bolt can brag with room inside the cabin. Most midsize sedans do not have that much space for cargo and are not that long. In addition to that, the back seat can be lowered.
As the editor of Green Car Reports, John Voelcker announced:” Before the Bolt, people had to pay $60,000 to $200,000 for an EV that could go 200 miles on a charge. Eighty percent of U.S. drivers travel less than 40 miles a day. The Bolt takes away the major reason people don’t buy EVs and gives the technology a new level of affordability.”
The Bolt is considered to be a cornerstone of General Motors’ strategy to produce cars.
