The Chevrolet Bolt Has Totally Trumped Tesla’s Model 3
Though it has only a small edge in terms of range, GM’s all-electric car will get to market well before Tesla’s Model 3 does.
Nobody likes waiting. And with the announcement that the Chevrolet Bolt’s range is going to outdo the Tesla’s Model 3, GM is about to take full advantage of that fact.
Internally, GM has referred to the all-electric Bolt as their “Tesla fighter” for some time. The fight is now heating up, as GM announced today that, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates, the Bolt will boast a range of 238 miles. And GM says it will be on the market for $37,500 later this year.
The Tesla Model 3, by contrast, will have a range of 215 miles and cost $35,000. Elon Musk is “fairly confident” that deliveries will begin in 2017.
Leaving aside concerns about styling (which Tesla would surely win) or maintenance (for which Chevrolet can offer 3,200 dealers, compared to Tesla’s 208), if you want an electric car soon, it looks like the decision is a fairly easy one to make.
(Read more: Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, “Can GM Go from Volt to Bolt?” “The Tesla Model 3 May Depend on This Battery Breakthrough”)