Chevrolet FNR-X Concept (Chevrolet)
General Motors’ next-generation electric car could be on the road within two years.
On a conference call with analysts, GM CEO Mary Barra said the company is on track to launch a new electric car architecture “before 2020,” the year Ford is expected to roll out a new battery-powered vehicle, along with a new infotainment system that has over-the-air update capability, Automotive News reports.
GM’s latest all-electric model, the Chevrolet Bolt, has been slowly rolled out across the country this year, and should be available nationwide in August. Less than 8,000 were sold through the first six months of 2017 and production has been reduce due to a growth in inventory on dealer lots.
The $36,995 Bolt was the first “affordable” electric car with a driving range of over 200 miles per charge, but it will be joined by the $35,000 Tesla Model 3 when deliveries begin on July 28.
2017 CHEVROLET BOLT TEST DRIVE:
Tesla has offered over the air updates for several years, for both its infotainment system and driver aid technology. The Bolt’s infotainment system is capable of updates, but Chevrolet has not sent out any yet.
Barra didn’t offer any hints at what kind of vehicles could use the new electric platform, but the Bolt is a small crossover, and Reuters recently reported that GM is considering turning its Volt plug-in hybrid into a crossover when it is replaced in 2022, as sales of sedans continue to drop across the industry.
Chevrolet also revealed a plug-in hybrid Crossover concept in China this year called the FNR-X that suggests a possible design direction for its future electrified vehicles.