On Monday, Chevrolet will be unveiling the next generation Chevrolet Volt. That car's powertrain will have the familiar Volt setup of an on-board regenerator. In addition to that, Chevrolet will be unveiling a concept car called the Bolt that can travel up to 200 miles on a single charge and has an initial price point of $30,000.
Though the Bolt is a concept, it is set to go into production for the 2017 model year, so we could see it on the road in as little as 18 months.
Chevrolet already builds a pure electric version of the Chevrolet Spark. It starts at around $20,000, has a range of 82 miles, and more pound-ft of torque than some full-size pickups, but it is currently only sold in California and Oregon for the sake of complying with those states' zero-emissions laws.
The Bolt will be different though; General Motors is planning on offering the Bolt nationwide and globally with a particular eye on China with its smog problems. For domestic consumption at least, the Bolt will be built in the US at one of GM's existing plants.
The $30,000 price point is no accident either. General Motors is targeting two prime targets, the Nissan Leaf which starts at $29,010 and has a 100 mile range, and the coming Tesla Model 3 which is said to be aiming for a $35,000 price point with a 200 mile range. If GM can meet both its price point and range target, the Bolt could become the Goldilocks electric vehicle offering both anxiety-free range and attainable price point.
The speculation out there says that the Bolt will be a crossover hatchback, but beyond that, technical details are scarce.
The Bolt will be revealed at a press conference that starts at 7:35am on Monday, January 12th. We will be on hand to bring you updates and pictures from the show floor.
*Chevrolet Spark EV charge port shown in picture above courtesy of General Motors.
You can sign up to follow all the stories from Detroit here, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+
Source: Green Car Reports and The Verge
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.