Unsurprisingly, the production Bolt borrows quite a few design elements from the Volt. The exterior changes from the concept are fairly extensive. Gone is the concept’s body-colored grille and high hood. The production car gains a floating greenhouse design with the requisite blacked-out c-pillar and the headlights have also been integrated into a contrast line that emphasizes the small hatch’s belt line.
The company has promised that the Bolt will arrive with at least 200 miles of electric range and a $30,000 price tag. The cost estimate is believed to reflect government incentives, suggesting the actual MSRP will be above $37,000.
GM had reportedly established a contract with Envia Systems to supply next-generation nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery cells for EVs, however the startup’s claims were later dismissed as “wildly exaggerated” and the automaker instead reached an agreement with an established player, LG Chem.
The development efforts face pressure from other automakers that are known or believed to be working on rival mass-market long-range EVs. Tesla Motors has set a 2017 launch window for its Model 3, a near-luxury sedan with a promised range of more than 250 miles and a price tag around $35,000 (before government incentives).
Photo by Brian Williams.
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