Featured Teardown of Chevy Bolt

The fact that the battery and drive train is all LG Chem might also play a part.

I don't fault GM for outsourcing it, Toyota did it for the Rav4 EV, and it likely was the most cost effective way for them to have a car to compete with the Model 3 in time. It does help explain their lack of investment in DC charging infrastructure, along with production numbers, though.

 

by the time tesla can actually sell a $35,000. car, their costs might be down enough to make it profitable.

 

Every time I see a Bolt on the road or parked I give a little cheer. Such a good looking and well designed car. GM has gone up a big notch in my book.

I'll bet a $35k model 3 will hardly exist. But many will still option to at least $45 or 55k to get one.

 

agreed, in the beginning. and even out a few years, when demand wanes, buyers will want goodies. but cost will keep coming down, allowing tesla to put more tech in the base model, or reduce msrp.

agreed. it's too bad they are losing money on them, and have no incentive to sell more than 30,000.

 

You have to wait awhile to option one out. We should know the prices soon, promised for start of august when people can start configuring. Currently it sounds like you can only pick color and upgrade to 19" wheels and turn on autopilot. The glass roof and D (dual or AWD) won't be available until later this year or probably next. My guess is the Power option and bigger battery are also later. So no way to get a $55k one fast. Then again if you didn't put a deposit down the first day and live in california, you won't see a car until 2018. I'm hoping I'll have mine by this time next year. Tesla will probably constrain production to get the tax credits to more people and make sure the quality is there. Tesla is going to sell a lot of base models first.

Demand just isn't there. If it was GM would pump out more and do more dealer training to sell them. People get mighty confused. Given the price points how many people need a bolt now, versus will wait for a model 3? Some people really want a hatch back, and that isn't a model 3, but .... the prius prime is there for competition as well. If the model 3 is a dud, than I can see bolt sales going up, but I don't think it will be a dud. Biggest yiping I've heard so far is the screen. There may be a shortage which will slow production this year, and lots of people want a normal dash.
Crunch Time: Tesla Model 3 Vs. Chevy Bolt

 

Electric Car Production Report: Tesla Ramps Up While Chevy Ramps Down - Gas 2

6000 bolts in inventory. I doubt many bev clarities will sell (although more than clarity fuel cell). Will the clarity phev using voltec technology be a killer app of gm R&D?

 

Bolt is still not sold nationwide and shares the production line with the bewildered Sonic that is normally sold 6:1 volume Compared to a Bolt
Instead the Sonic is selling dismally and it alone drives the plant line schedules.

Coupling a scheduled shutdown with a mostly single model line (for Sonics that aren't selling, Bolt is an afterthought on that line )
is a recipe for a longer shutdown until inventory for the Sonic is reduced.

We shall see if the scheduled shutdown is longer than expected in a few weeks,
we may find that the line is tooled up for 2018 after it restarts though and that they are hyping a shutdown that is scheduled every year at this time and is standard routine procedure for GM.

 

If they can almost break even on the (short on rear legroom) Volt - at $35K - just think how much dough will come rolling in in a year or 2 with its much more powerfull / luxurious 2017 Caddy, the C6 - msrp ~ $53K ;


I almost don't care it's entirely built in China.
(ducks)
.

 

That's cute that they advertise the 5.2 sec 0-60 time.

 

Seems Chevy has a few things working against them regarding Bolt sales. They have a much more popular and widely available (not to mention better looking, in my opinion) vehicle that also runs on electricity whose name rhymes and is only off by one letter. Then their sales staff at dealerships don't always know enough to make a Bolt appealing over the Volt. So Chevy is cannabalizing Bolt sales by their own Volt sales and poor sales staff and buyer understanding of differences between them. And then the Tesla Model 3 starting production is also going to hurt Bolt sales because the Model 3 looks sleek and upscale and it's made by Tesla, which gets a lot of media attention.

 

Not to mention a sales staff that is largely made up of "car guys." They aren't as likely to learn all the nuances of either the Bolt or Volt.

 

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?293305-Bolt-production-capacity-being-increased-to-1-sonic-1-bolt-mix-(50-50-split)

It appears GM is making a bold decision to sacrifice gas production capabilities for their current EV offering

Maybe they are taking a page from Ford who always produce a specific QTY of F150's even if there is no demand then fire sale the extras next year?

For me depending on demand I might end up with aBolt in a year if they are cheap and plentiful.

Also GM noted that the Bolt EV helped sell Volts , Bolt brings them in but they leave with a Volt instead.

The view expressed is the M3 validates the Bolt EV once people actually can see and touch the car.

 

General Motors Comments On Bolt Inventory - Only 6 Per Certified Dealership Nationwide

 

my guess is 7000 is about 5 months inventory. Perhaps that is good. They can retool then slowly make the 2018 model when its ready ;-) If its ready soon, then you discount those 2017 cars left when the 2018s make it out. I'm not sure if there is much difference.

 

Look at the crazy discounts already offered in some areas of CA on the Bolt....

 

incredible.

 

^ not that I'm complaining, I got decent discounts on my loaded $43K Premier Bolt too...

$3,000 Dealer discount off MSRP
$2,000 NY State "Drive Clean" Point of Sale Rebate
$7,500 Fed Tax Credit

If I had waited another three months from April 8th when I bought the Bolt I probably could have gotten the $3,000 "Private Offer" POS rebate from GM as well. GM only started the $3,000 "Private Offer" program for the Bolt (and some other ICE vehicles) in the last couple of weeks it seems.

 

still happy?