DETROIT – The Chevrolet Bolt concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show offers a first peek at the company’s next generation all-electric car.
The compact crossover will boast a range of over 200 miles per charge – over twice as far as today’s Chevy Spark EV can go – and have a starting price of around $30,000 (likely after tax incentives are factored in,) the company says.
Specific details on the technology that will allow it to make such a large jump in performance, such as the size and type of battery pack it uses, were not revealed, but an aerodynamically efficient body and lightweight building materials, including magnesium and carbon fiber, play a role.
Special attention was given to the design of the interior, which is minimal and features a very thin seat design to help cut weight that GM’s head of product development, Mark Reuss, says will make it into the production model.
That one is still over a year away from its debut, but Reuss says it will retain much of the character of the concept, and that he’s confident that it will be able to compete against premium electric compacts like the BMW i3 and upcoming Tesla Model III, which will offer a similar range to the Bolt.