American car manufacturer, Chevrolet has unveiled its latest Electric Vehicle (EV), the Bolt.
The Bolt will be an all-electric car that will sell for around $30,000 (USD) and offer a 200 mile range. “The Bolt EV concept is a game-changing electric vehicle designed for attainability, not exclusivity,” said General Motors CEO Mary Barra. “Chevrolet believes electrification is a pillar of future transportation and needs to be affordable for a wider segment of customers.”
The 200-mile range and the relatively cheap price of the vehicle place it firmly in competition with Tesla’s highly-anticipated Model 3 which Elon Musk confirmed is aiming to have a 200-mile range and sell for $35,000.
Chevrolet clearly sees the EV market as an increasingly important area of operation. Barra explained: “We have made tremendous strides in technologies that make it easier and more affordable for Chevrolet customers to integrate an all-electric vehicle in their daily lives. The Bolt EV concept demonstrates General Motors’ commitment to electrification and the capabilities of our advanced EV technology.”
The manufacturer claims that it has developed the Bolt to meet the daily driver needs of its customers. The importance of the announced Bolt for the wider EV market could be extremely pronounced. There is a growing appetite for all-electric cars, EV registrations in the UK quadrupled in 2014, but the expense of the EVs coupled with lower range of batteries has proved a barrier to many would-be purchasers.
