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Chevrolet promised to offer the first affordable electric vehicle with 200 miles or more of range and will exceed those expectations when the 2017 Bolt EV goes on sale later this year. With the vehicle’s EPA-estimated range of 238 miles, owners can expect to go beyond their average daily driving needs — with plenty of range to spare — in the 2017 Bolt EV when charging regularly.
“Chevrolet showed the world the production version Bolt EV earlier this year and in a few short months we’ve moved from that vision to a reality,” said GM North America President Alan Batey. “The Bolt EV is a game changer for the electric car segment and it will start to become available at Chevrolet dealerships later this year.”
Bolt EV buyers won’t be able to find a better value for an all-electric, thrill-inducing ride with an expected MSRP below $37,500 and before available federal tax credit of up to $7,500*. Plenty of range, cargo space, technology and safety features make the Bolt EV a great package for any driver.
“While range is important, we knew Bolt EV owners would want more — more space and more power — and the Bolt EV delivers,” said Bolt EV Chief Engineer Josh Tavel. “Our team took special pride in optimizing every aspect of this vehicle, especially its impressive range and ride dynamics.”
When the Bolt EV arrives at select Chevrolet dealerships in late 2016, Chevrolet will offer a flavor of electrification to meet any customer’s needs. Whether it’s the pure electric Bolt EV, the Chevrolet Volt or the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Chevrolet dealerships are full of affordable options for an efficient and engaging driving experience. More information on the Chevrolet electric family and the benefits of driving electric can be found at ChevyEVlife.com.
*Final Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price not yet announced and does not include, tax, title, license or optional equipment. Actual savings from the federal government depend on individual tax situations.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
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Along the route required by Chevy, that was a drive of 229 miles, including a mixed bag of two-lane highway, stretches of high-speed freeway, and some substantial ups and downs in elevation.
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Dashboard read-outs showed me how I was driving, and how I was braking, and the degree to which my driving style was saving or wasting electricity. At any given time, I was shown numbers for maximum range, minimum range and the range I could expect if I continued driving in the same manner.
Leaving Monterey, I was told those numbers were 266 maximum, 174 minimum and 225 average — four miles short of the entire journey.
So I had a slight flutter of “range anxiety,” that unhappy suspicion that I would run the battery empty before arriving at my destination.
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A mandatory lunch stop was planned for Cambria, about 110 miles to the south along Highway 1. As I tooled along, I found my confidence rising. The gauges didn’t show the battery rate going down as fast as I’d feared.
Granted, I wasn’t traveling much above 50 mph most of the way, and was often going much slower. But when I got to Cambria, my max number was 204, my minimum 141 and my average 173.
It wasn't just smart driving on my part. Other cars taking the same route had averages of 158 to 171 when they arrived at the lunch stop.
That number meant that if I drove the rest of the route more or less the same way, I’d probably be OK.
But after Cambria, the driving changed. Highway 1 flattened and straightened, through Harmony, Cayucos and Morro Bay. When I hit San Luis Obispo, I was instructed to hop onto the 101, where speeds were moving close to 70 mph. (The Bolt EV is electronically limited to a top speed of 92 mph.)
Going fast takes more juice. So does using the air conditioner, and below Cambria the sun had come out and the temperature was rising. So the battery level began to drop.
Following the Chevy route, I left the 101 below Pismo Beach and drove through the farming communities of Guadelupe and Orcutt, where speeds were closer to 55 mph. I tucked back onto the 101 at Los Alamos but left it again around Los Olivos.
Ahead was the San Marcos Pass, the shorter route to Santa Barbara, but also the steeper one.
Chevy’s people had said that when I reached the roundabout intersection of Highways 154 and 246, I must stop if I had less than 30 miles of driving range remaining — because I likely wouldn't make it over the pass.
But I was good to go, with an average range number of 74 shown on the dashboard.
The pass took a lot out of the Bolt. At the crest, I was down to only 43 miles remaining. But elevation gives back much of what it removes. The Bolt’s regenerative braking system, which captures energy on downhill stretches, gave back another 10 miles of range before I hit the 101 again north of Santa Barbara.
I finished the drive with 240.5 miles on the trip meter, just above the EPA number of 238.
But the onboard computer said I could continue driving, perhaps for another 50 miles, bringing my total to over 290 miles.
That’s almost the range promised by the top-of-the-line Tesla Model S, the one that at $110,000-plus sells for approximately four times more than the Bolt EV is likely to cost.
It was only yesterday when Chevy released the EPA numbers for the 2017 Bolt EV, and now the first test drive reports are indicating the 238-mile range might have been significantly underrated. The folks from Los Angeles Times had the opportunity to take a prototype for a spin and drove the all-electric hatchback for 240.5 miles (387 kilometers), with the Bolt’s trip computer showing the battery pack still had enough juice for an additional 50 miles (80 km). That would bring the total to an impressive 290 miles (467 kilometers), well above EPA’s estimation.
Car & Driver also had the chance to test the Bolt and they drove it for an EPA-matching 238 miles, with the range estimator showing at the end 34 miles (55 km), thus bringing the total to 272 miles (438 km).
The peeps from Wired hopped inside a pre-production car for a trip that lasted 239.9 miles (386 km) and at the end of the test drive the battery still had enough juice for 23 miles (37 km). That means the 60-kWh battery installed by Chevy would have allowed the Bolt to cover 263 miles (423 km) before running out of energy.
In addition, Green Car Reports drove another Bolt and managed to achieve 240 miles (386 km) on a single charge and they say there was still some life in the battery.
For the sake of comparison, its main rival, the Model 3, has been rated by Tesla at 215 miles (346 km), so the Bolt should prove to be a more than viable alternative at a similar asking price. While the Model 3 will kick off at $35,000, Chevy’s electric car is going to cost less than $37,500, with both prices excluding any available incentives. The Bolt will also have the advantage of being the first to hit the market early next year, whereas customer deliveries of the Tesla Model 3 are not scheduled to commence until late 2017.
Apparently they can't make these fast enough. Dealers are asking people if they can leave their new purchase on the lot for an extra few days so other people can check them out.
Apparently they can't make these fast enough. Dealers are asking people if they can leave their new purchase on the lot for an extra few days so other people can check them out.
It's getting outstanding reviews.
I still think GM is losing money on the Bolt so they're not in any big hurry to build a whole bunch of them.
But selling these enables them to sell hugely profitable things that aren't so fuel efficient, so it's a worthwhile endeavor for them.
EVs are really good if they fit your lifestyle.
Heck... I used to own all manner of gas powered lawn equipment. As soon as the electric stuff got good enough the gas stuff was gone.
I don't have to mow any more but you can bet that if I did my next lawn mower would be battery powered.
That range is downhill with a tailwind, no lights on, no heat or air conditioning on, no radio, and driving slow.
No it's not, which you'd know if you read the articles. And would you actually learn something about EVs instead of spouting your bull**** in every EV thread?
It'll be interesting to see how it does in the real world.
FWIW, the Volt pretty much does what they said it would do. Lots of people get into the thousands of miles out of it's little tank of gas.
It was Obama's goal to get 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. Even though he gave manufacturers a lot of tax money and has subsidized manufacturers the goal still can't be met - even by 2018.
It was Obama's goal to get 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. Even though he gave manufacturers a lot of tax money and has subsidized manufacturers the goal still can't be met - even by 2018.
That's just because gas is cheap now. When oil rises again (like it inevitably will), electric cars will sell more.
Also, Tesla has like 250,000 orders for their Model 3. People are waiting on that car and not buying others.
In a country that sells 7 to 8 million cars a year (Ford sells 2.6 million) 250,000 is just going to keep the doors open at Tesla.
And I have to point out a discrepancy in the figures.
Here's a report that declares Tesla sold 80 to 90 thousand cars in 2016. Tesla projects total 2016 sales of 80,000 to 90,000 electric cars
That doesn't fit very well with the 250,000 in your report, but I don't know where the problem is.
I remain convinced that Musk is a huckster who has figured out a way to get stinking rich off the taxpayers. Not to say he doesn't have a car - he does! - but he doesn't have one that can be manufactured and sold in a fair market.
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