Chevrolet Bolt expelled: A look back at America’s cheapest EV

chevrolet pruning my garden, with all the electricity EV . bolt And EUV . bolt latest casualties, both will cease production by the end of 2023.

not like Camaro, which is being slashed mainly due to slowing sales and shrinking market segments, Bolt sales are actually picking up. (More on that later.)

Instead, the automaker said it would discontinue Bolt production in order to retool its Orion Township, Michigan plant for production. Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. Both are based on the company’s dedicated body-on-frame EV architecture, also found below GMC Hummerand uses its Ultium battery technology.

Production of these two pickups is expected to begin in 2024. It’s likely these two pickups, as well as the premium Cadillacs and mid-size Chevrolet EVs that the company is busy launching , will provide a faster path to profitability than Bolt .

All about Benjamins

When the new Bolt finally goes on sale, it will leave a gap in the US market for a truly affordable electric vehicle.

Given that Chinese automakers have shunned the US and that EV tax credits from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act only apply to cars made in North America, it could take some time before another vehicle replaces the Bolt.

At the time of writing, the Bolt EV starts at $26,500 (AU$40,000), while the slightly larger Bolt EUV starts at $27,800 ($42,000). Both are eligible for the $7,500 US government tax credit, bringing the purchase to approximately $20,000 (US$30,000) — about $1000 less than the price of one. entry level products Toyota Corolla roadster.

Even Chevrolet New Equinox EVwill offer a more conventional styling, with a targeted base price of $30,000 ($45,400).

It’s a big step from the upcoming Bolt to the next cheapest models: the Hyundai Kona EV ($33,550) and Leaf Nissan (US$36,040). Both of these vehicles are imported and do not qualify for the tax credit.

We should note that, when the Bolt was launched in 2016, it was more expensive than the reigning EV champ at the time, the first-generation Nissan Leaf, which started at $30,600 but only had capacity. 78kW and a small 30kWh battery. only good for 172 km driving.

While the Bolt might be a bargain for electric vehicle enthusiasts who want a bargain, it’s not a profitable business venture for GM. Depending on which analyst you trust, the automaker loses between $5,000 and $8,000 for every Bolt sold.

Entering production at the end of 2016, Bolt beat Tesla Model 3 marketed for more than half a year. During the development of both cars, both manufacturers announced that they were busy designing an affordable EV for the masses, with a target price of $35,000.

Finally, Chevrolet doesn’t go too far with the base LT version, which starts at $37,495, or slightly less than the LT version. Mercedes CLA before you calculate the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Meanwhile, Tesla decided to focus on the more expensive variants of the Model 3, though eventually (within a short time) it hit its $35,000 goal with the store-only Standard Range model. row.

Small car, long range, big price

Although the Bolt was built in Michigan, it was designed by GM’s factory in South Korea – the result of the company’s acquisition of Daewoo in 2002.

The car also had a battery pack made in Korea by LG Chem, although in the following years battery production moved to the US. Rated at 60kWh, the Bolt has a US EPA-standard range of 383km, which is more than enough for most everyday situations.

However, road trips were and still are a problem. While the Model 3’s 170 kW DC charging rate far exceeds the Bolt’s 55 kW maximum when equipped with an optional fast charging system, the main problem is the lack of reliable public fast chargers outside of hubs. large population.

Powered by an electric motor rated at 149kW and 361Nm, the front-wheel drive Bolt is surprisingly nimble with a 0-60mph (0-97km/h) acceleration time of around 6.5 seconds.

At 4166mm long, 1765mm wide, 1595mm tall, and a 2601mm wheelbase, the Bolt is about 100mm larger in every dimension except height, compared to Honda Jazz.

Like the Jazz, the Bolt has a spacious interior for a small footprint. While it included an impressive amount of cabin technology for the time, its tough plastic material and small size didn’t match its $35,000 price tag.

From its debut in 2017 until GM’s sale of the Opel/Vauxhall to the PSA Group, the Bolt was sold in Europe as the Opel Ampera-e, a follow-up to the Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid, a version of the Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid. Lightly redesigned version of the Chevrolet Volt. .

As the Bolt was built only in left-hand drive, there was no Vauxhall version and no official UK sales.

face tightening

After receiving a larger 66kWh battery in 2020, the Bolt has been upgraded for 2021.

The revised Bolt EV features a new front end with slimmer headlights, a grille-less bumper, new taillights, a revised tailgate and a $5000 price tag ($7500).

The range also features a more spacious EUV model with a longer wheelbase and a unique yet familiar exterior.

With a length of 4305 mm, a width of 1770 mm, a height of 1615 mm and a wheelbase of 2675 mm, the EUV is 139 mm longer, 5 mm wider, 20 mm taller and has a 74 mm longer wheelbase than the Bolt EV. normally.

While there are no changes to the powertrain or battery system, both the Bolt EV and EUV benefit from a redesigned dashboard and improved front seats.

The Bolt EUV also gets 55kW DC charging as standard and is the first Chevrolet-branded vehicle to get GM’s Super Cruise option. Level 2 autopilotallows drivers to switch to hands-free driving on pre-approved highways in the US and Canada.

My car is on fire

A series of battery fires eventually led GM to halt sales in mid-2021 and advise owners to only charge their cars outdoors and only at 90% of maximum capacity.

In the end, all 141,000 Bolts sold to date were recalled and eventually fitted with a redesigned battery module. LG has agreed to pay US$1.9 billion (US$2.9 billion) out of US$2 billion (US$3 billion) in costs.

GM says some battery packs have “torn anode lugs and creased separators” in some cells, which means they’re prone to short-circuiting and overheating, especially when the battery pack is nearly full.

Plus, the automaker says Autoweek “EV bolts do not have a design feature to disconnect individual battery cells,” meaning that this type of failure is managed by reducing the overall capacity.

Not long after sales resumed in April 2022, Chevrolet took the drastic step of reducing the price of the Bolt EV by about $10,000 to $26,495. The EUV is also discounted from US$6300 to US$28,195.

The sale

In 2017, its first year on the market, Chevrolet Bolt had very little competition except for the Nissan Leaf and bmw i3and managed a respectable 23,297 sales.

After the Model 3 passed “production hell” in 2017, where only 1667 units were sold in the US, Tesla was able to sell 140,317 units in 2018, outpacing the Bolt’s meager total sales of 18,020 pcs.

That said, Bolt’s sales trajectory is going up. Despite a cease-and-desist order issued due to a battery fire, 24,827 Bolts were sold in 2021 and 38,122 units found new homes in 2022 after production resumed.

In the first three months of 2023, Bolt achieved sales of 19,700 units.

If Bolt could somehow keep up with that running pace that would equate to 78,800 for the whole year. Even if it fails, the Bolt will likely flop with record sales.

THAN: Chevrolet Equinox EV 2024 details