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from the it's-electric-woogie-woogie-woogie dept.
The Chevrolet Bolt is one of the most anticipated cars of 2016. GM's first long-range battery electric vehicle is due to hit dealerships before the end of 2016 and beat Tesla's Model 3 to market as the first mass-market long-range BEV. There has been speculation until now as to the Bolt's actual range; on Tuesday morning, Chevrolet confirmed that you can expect an EPA-estimate of 238 miles on a full battery.
We're still not entirely sure how much the Bolt will cost, but Chevrolet says the MSRP will be under $37,500 before any rebates or tax incentives are taken into account. Since its 60kWh battery qualifies the Bolt for the most generous federal tax credit ($7,500), you should be able to pick one up for $30,000—slightly under the average US car price of $33,000.
The race to dominate the mass-market electric vehicle segment is on.
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Thursday September 15 2016, @05:56AM
Out here in flyover country this thing is a non-starter. Take that 238 mile official range and derate it, because here in the South we use f*cking air conditioning and NO battery gets the rated life. I wouldn't feel safe going a hundred miles in the thing unless I had spent time researching a charging station near enough to a place I wouldn't mind sitting around at for a couple of hours. So if you draw a hard 100mile circle around my location that gives three smallish (i.e. more than Walmart and DQ) cities I could realistically visit. There are three more interesting ones just out of safe range. Although one is only 82 miles away on the backroads route, probably won't get as good battery life since it would involve more start/stop at traffic lights in speed traps towns so I wouldn't want to try it.
Until you can either find chargers easy enough not to have to plan trips around them (and pray one isn't out of order) or the range jumps way up, the only electric that makes any sense is hybrid. Not that those make much sense either at this point on a pure cost / benefit.
(Score: 2) by fnj on Thursday September 15 2016, @06:50AM
You have a point. So this isn't the car for you. A Prius would be a good choice, but I'm going to take a wild-ass guess. I bet you don't drive a Prius. I'm taking a BIG chance here, and you can shut me down if I'm wrong in my unsupported supposition.
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Thursday September 15 2016, @08:09AM
Of course not. The only way they even halfway make sense is with massive taxpayer subsidies, i.e. welfare for yuppies. I'll pass on that.
But I drive an old car, can't beat those economics with a stick. An old car with comfortable seats and eight cylinders that can pass on a two lane blacktop if want to. Paid $4K cash, probably at least that much more in maintenance in the six years I have drove it so far. Compare with 30K for this crappy battery operated econobox.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @11:26AM
> Of course not. The only way they even halfway make sense is with massive taxpayer subsidies, i.e. welfare for yuppies. I'll pass on that.
You prefer your massive taxpayer subsidies to go to oil company owners. 'Murica!!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @01:17PM
* jmorris got rekt here *
(Score: 2) by turgid on Thursday September 15 2016, @01:40PM
And it runs on recycled dinosaurs.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Thursday September 15 2016, @02:32PM
Go do a test drive. It doesn't cost anything. Even in Detroit, the land of the internal combustion engine, you can test EVs. Better to judge based on first-hand observation than to paint yourself into a corner with supposition.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @02:53PM
> Better to judge based on first-hand observation than to paint yourself into a corner with supposition.
I'm sorry, have you met jmorris?
Supposition is what he does.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday September 15 2016, @02:29PM
The South is not flyover country. Flyover country is the Mid-West. 100 mile radius in the South is also plenty of range to get to beautiful nature or delightful towns everywhere, with the possible exception of northeast Mississippi. Everywhere else you have some kind of access to the Atlantic, the Gulf, the Smoky Mountains, the Ozarks, the Trace, something. Town driving also doesn't really hurt EV range, though, because unlike gas cars they don't idle at stop lights.
EVs are great to drive, and you should do a test drive before discounting that option.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by damnbunni on Thursday September 15 2016, @05:45PM
Nah, the Eastern seaboard is flyover country.
That's where most people actually fly, so it's what gets flown over the most!
(Virginia, specifically.)
(And yeah, I know that's not what people mean by 'flyover country'. But I thought it was interesting nonetheless!)