Concept cars at automobile shows generally offer the following: great opps for selfies, dreams over driving a vehicle that will never exist and, of course, the occasional eye roll. But this week at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, one concept car dazzled because of its design and its potential to transform the automobile industry: General Motors’ (GM) Chevrolet Bolt EV, which could hit the market as soon as 2017.
The Bolt is a huge step closer toward the holy grail of electric vehicles (EVs): affordability and sustainability — the latter of which in this case is defined by range, the current bugaboo of most EVs. Sure, we love Tesla for its phenomenal design and range of 265 miles between charges. Unfortunately, the sticker price, which ranges between $70,000 and $90,000, is out of range of most of our budgets. GM’s Chevy Spark EV could be a car for the rest of us, with a price of about $20,000 after federal rebates. But with a range of about 82 miles, it fails to snag interest from most consumers due to that massive hurdle: “range anxiety.”
Concept cars at automobile shows generally offer the following: great opps for selfies, dreams over driving a vehicle that will never exist and, of course, the occasional eye roll. But this week at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, one concept car dazzled because of its design and its potential to transform the automobile industry: General Motors’ (GM) Chevrolet Bolt EV, which could hit the market as soon as 2017.
The Bolt is a huge step closer toward the holy grail of electric vehicles (EVs): affordability and sustainability — the latter of which in this case is defined by range, the current bugaboo of most EVs. Sure, we love Tesla for its phenomenal design and range of 265 miles between charges. Unfortunately, the sticker price, which ranges between $70,000 and $90,000, is out of range of most of our budgets. GM’s Chevy Spark EV could be a car for the rest of us, with a price of about $20,000 after federal rebates. But with a range of about 82 miles, it fails to snag interest from most consumers due to that massive hurdle: “range anxiety.”
This electric car, however, hits a sweet spot. On Monday during its introduction at Cobo Hall in Detroit, GM executives, including CEO Mary Barra, touted its $30,000 price after federal tax incentives, along with its promised range of 200 miles. Considering the average commute per day hovers around 50 miles, this four-door hatchback could snare plenty of interest in the coming decade.
The Bolt is riding the coattails of its cousin, GM’s Chevy Volt, which is enjoying increased success and praise despite the ongoing naysaying about the future of plug-in electric cars and the fallout of batteries catching fire not so long ago. But as GM representatives repeatedly reminded me during my time in Detroit, Chevy Volt owners rank as the most satisfied automobile owners across the board.
Steve Lagreca / Shutterstock.com">Chevy Bolt image via Shutterstock.
Read more at ENN Affiliate TriplePundit.
