Aiming To Beat Tesla's "3", Chevy Tests and Teases a Cheaper 200-Mile Electric Car

PC Magazine is one of many to note Chevrolet's upcoming effort to beat Tesla's Model 3 to market with a car that is "affordable" (a lot more affordable than the Model S) but which tops the 200-mile range that right now only Tesla beats in a widely available pure electric car. The Model 3 is expected to feature many of the features of the currently Tesla S variants, but in a smaller package and with a much lower price tag. The linked article features GM-supplied video of Chevy's all-elecric bolt, about which it says The car maker doesn't reveal much beyond what we already know: 200-plus-mile range and a starting price tag of $30,000. The video shows various Chevy engineers putting the camouflage-wrapped Bolt EV through its paces—climbing hills, accelerating, and coming to a stop, as well as enduring extreme heat and charging.

Comments

diluting the market

[electrosoccertux]

Like most low end Chevy vehicles it'll probably be a complete shame and do the meaning of the word 'electric', that Tesla has worked so hard to craft prestige into, a disservice. 200 miles isn't enough. People will walk away from electric like they walked away from Atari going 'huh, video games are dumb'.

Re:diluting the market

[aurizon]

Ah yes, a vehicle designed by GM, to require frequent maintenance, and to rust out in northern area in 5 years, all to keep the replacement parts and dealer system alive.
Tesla wants to eliminate that entire costly tier, a tier that was required by gas cars that wore fast and needed adjustment and complex transmissions etc.
What does an electric car need of a transmission. A differential can be needed, but Tesla might craft a car with 2 rear motors or 4 motors for 4 wheel drive - all direct drive = zero transmission or differential.

Then the UAW cost burden, the pension burden etc etc. - the only way GM can do this by cheating the buyers. Cheating them in the way that killed off most of the USA car business over the last 50 years.

Re:diluting the market

[ColdWetDog]

Huh. My 2000 GMC 3/4 ton pickup would like to run you over. Still runs fine, only mild rust despite spending 14 years in a 'precipitating marine environment. Yep, it's had various bits replaced but that's how a piece of equipment runs for 20 years.

Re:diluting the market

[Anonymous Coward]

The cost of battery is proportional to range but the the mileage at which the battery needs replacement is not proportional to range. This means that higher the range, higher the cost of battery replacement per mile. In fact, for Tesla equivalent car, the cost of battery replacement will likely exceed the amount it will save on gas. For Nissan leaf, it will be break even. At current battery price, even 200 is too much. For mass production profitable car without government subsidy, the cost of battery replacement must be less than the fuel saving, so the range is unlikely to exceed 200 until battery prices reduces dramatically.

Re:diluting the market

[rtb61]

Now of course your comment touches on the future of electric vehicles, keeping in mind the electronic companies hiding in the background behind Tesla Motors testing the waters based upon Tesla Motors Experience.

Forget Chevy, Ford, GMH, the new motor builders or road appliance manufacturers will be the electronics companies. Some mergers, some acquisitions and of course Korea's unique vertical integration of manufacturers mean they are already there.

So say Sony and Panasonic motors, with a largely electronic vehicle, running FOSS but with content management as an extension to the Big Screen Computer, the Tablet remote, the mobile phone and of course the ultimate mobile (also all the other home appliances), the car or more a utility vehicle with greater emphasis on function, the all electric compact SUV, in the city or out in the country on a picnic and still providing access to shared content and helping to create new content.

That better battery is drawing a huge amount of focus, lighter with greater capacity and low manufacturing cost, the current technological holy grail in so many areas, cars, mobile devices, home energy generation and storage. With that level of focus the better battery is likely not that far off and it puts current automotive manufacturers under serious threat as well as of course the fossil fuelers.

Re:diluting the market

[riverat1]

Probably 2 electric motors is enough, one for the front axle and one for the rear axle. You don't really want to put the motors out on the wheels because the weight of them interferes with the suspension's action and makes it less reactive to bumps in the road.

Re:Bolt is a 20k car

[FranTaylor]

There's no way it can compete with Tesla M3 on equal ground.

Sure they can, they have about 100x the manufacturing capability of Tesla. They have dealers and showrooms and distribution already set up all over the planet. If the market takes off they are MUCH better positioned to get cars made and distributed and sold and supported than a company with basically no distribution network and no dealers.