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The Chevrolet Bolt has gained a head start on Tesla’s Model 3 as they have now began shipping to dealerships in California. The two low-cost EVs are set to be quite the rivals, and this is just the beginning. Bay Area Chevrolet dealers received delivery of the Bolt recently, making it the first one to reach customers as well as the streets.
With this news, so follows a new age of electric vehicles. GM North America President Alan Batey is quoted saying “All of the hard work that the Chevrolet team have put into designing, engineering and building the Bolt EV brings us to this truly satisfying moment of making the first deliveries to customers on time, as planned. Wild advancements have been made over the last years with both Chevrolet and Tesla headlining reports at every turn, but this is something bigger. This is an affordable segment for those of us with realistic means that branches out past the upper class, making electrified cars available for the rest of us. It’s been a long time coming, and the Bolt has hit the ground first.
Now, we wait for Tesla. Model 3 production is slated to begin in the middle of next year, giving the Bolt about 6-8 months to gain its edge among consumers. Whenever the $35,000 Tesla does come, though, it may put a kink in Chevrolet’s hose. It will feature Autopilot technology as standard, whereas the Bolt doesn’t have any self-driving functions available. Both cars will have intuitive safety features, prolonging the see-saw game even further.
Next up on the recipient list is Oregon, then off to the East Coast. These urban areas are where the Bolt will flourish as it provides easier availability than most EVs and excellent range, 238 miles of it as a matter of fact. With plenty of charging stations located throughout major cities, the Bolt shouldn’t suffer too much from lacking its own electric fill-up infrastrucutre (i.e. Tesla’s Supercharging network).
Shipments to the rest of the country will begin in the first quarter of 2017. This modest EV battle is shaping up to be quite entertaining, and it’s only just started. Come back for updates as we receive first impressions from consumers on the Chevrolet Bolt, and again for the Tesla Model 3 upon release.
