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

Posted by timothy on from the zipping-around dept.

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.

6 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. diluting the market by electrosoccertux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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'.

    1. Re:diluting the market by FranTaylor · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It is frigging ugly in that paint job.

      You are SUPPOSED to think it is ugly, you are NOT SUPPOSED to appreciate what it looks like. This is standard procedure for an unreleased automobile. They don't want the public to get expectations about what it's going to look like. They don't want the auto press to splash pictures of it on their magazines and web sites. The exterior design is not yet complete, they paint it like that on purpose. The design may change and they don't want to disappoint people who were expecting what they saw.

    2. Re:diluting the market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      The paint job is a specifically designed camo paint to destroy lines and hide the actual look of the car (among other things).

      http://www.autoblog.com/2014/11/07/how-and-why-automakers-work-hard-to-camouflage-their-cars/

    3. Re:diluting the market by Anomalyst · · Score: 4

      Dont forget the BigBrother onstar installation with no way to disconnect or disable it.

      --
      There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
    4. Re:diluting the market by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  2. Re:Bolt is a 20k car by FranTaylor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.