The upcoming 2020 Chevy Bolt has received a significant battery boost of 19 miles which makes the total battery range of the potential Tesla Model 3 killer to 259 miles. The base Tesla Model 3 has a range of total battery range of around 238 miles.
The 2019 Chevy Bolt is quite a fun and practical electric car in the $35,000-$36,000 price range. This Tesla Model 3 killer is seeing a steady growth in the United States and Canada.
In this Q2 2019, the sales of Chevy bolt were up by 14% to 3,965 units as compared to just 3,483 units in Q2 2018. The car is also sold in Mexico and South Korea, however, the 2019 Chevy Bolt saw a decrease in sales in those regions.
Recently, the Tesla Model 3 was launched in South Korea and the car gathered a lot of public attention. People of South Korea waited in line just to take a look at the world-famous Tesla electric car.
The 2020 Chevy Bolt, along with an increased battery range, will also come with Oasis Blue and Cayenne Orange. The latter color is more expensive. The 2020 Chevy Bolt also gets a new backup camera this time.
The price of the current-gen Chevy Bolt electric car is $37,497 before federal tax credits.
Tesla Model 3 Killers Need To Change Strategies
Tesla Model 3 killers have evolved quite a lot over the years. From Nissan Leaf adopting vehicle-to-home charging technology to Rivian offering up to 500-miles of range in their upcoming pickup truck.
The Tesla Model 3 was one of the best selling cars in the United States during Q2 2019. Tesla sold around 70,000 Model 3 electric cars beating Audi-A4, BMW 3-Series and Lexus IS in the process.
Furthermore, it was revealed that 60% of buyers going for a Tesla car were actually upgrading from their existing vehicles and moving into the premium segment. This gives Chevy Bolt and other Tesla Model 3 killers a wide market to conquer.
I guess, Chevy realized that the dominant issue for anyone switching to an electric vehicle is always the range-anxiety. Thus, equipping one of their most affordable and best selling electric car with more range will surely equal increase in sales.
Chevy is also planning on introducing a cross-over electric SUV called Menlo. It is a cross-over based on the 2019 Bolt and it is currently available in the Chinese market. Chevy released the Menlo in the eastern market to align with the strict emission policies which the Chinese government had put in.
The Chinese variant of the Chevy Menlo is capable of traveling 187 miles on a single charge. However, in the United States, this type of range won’t be enough. Hopefully, Chevy will increase the battery range of Menlo, just like they did with the Bolt, before bringing it to the USA. The rest of the specs of the Menlo will likely remain the same including its bodywork.
Furthermore, A Chinese company called Human Horizon recently unveiled its electric SUV to take on the likes of Tesla Model X.
Chevy also announced $300 million worth of investment in the Orion Michigan plant to increase production. The American automaker has promised to launch several electric vehicles by 2023 and the Chevy Menlo along with the 2020 Bolt will be the flag bearer of the bunch.
Electric Vehicles Adoption Is Increasing
In conclusion, Americans are buying more electric vehicles each day and the electric charging infrastructure in the United States is also improving at a good pace. Electric vehicles are becoming more affordable and as competitive as conventional ones. In this environment, an established automaker like Chevy can take advantage of increased profits by delivering an EV with a high range and a competitive price point.
