[mbepic]

On Weds., I have an appt. to place an 'unofficial' order for the new Chevy Bolt EV through one of the largest volume dealership in Ontario/Canada.

They will take my $500. deposit and have said that I should get the first Bolt EV going through their dealership........hopefully by early fall.

Will go from the packaged model to the real thing

 

[DucRider]

Personally, I wouldn't put a deposit like that down. Too many questions, and it's likely not enforceable on your side. If the owner of the dealership decides he wants the first one, who do you think will get it? If the owner's poker buddy wants one for his wife, will you get yours first?

Are you locking in a price? Are they free to add $2K to the MSRP "due to high demand"? $4K? If someone offers $5K more than you, will they sell it to them?

Are you stuck with whatever shows up on the truck, or do you get to order what you want?

 

[mbepic]

Personally, I wouldn't put a deposit like that down. Too many questions, and it's likely not enforceable on your side. If the owner of the dealership decides he wants the first one, who do you think will get it? If the owner's poker buddy wants one for his wife, will you get yours first?

Are you locking in a price? Are they free to add $2K to the MSRP "due to high demand"? $4K? If someone offers $5K more than you, will they sell it to them?

Are you stuck with whatever shows up on the truck, or do you get to order what you want?

Fully refundable deposit if I change my mind or we can't negotiate a mutually agreed price........I've told her I want something under MSRP. I bought my Chevy Volt from them and if they bushwhack me, they have an excellent reputation to risk.

The price, colour, options will all be worked out when they get the info from GM and are able to put in an 'official' order for me. I take them at their word that I will get first order and first Bolt EV thru that dealership. I have an excellent relationship with them.

 

[mr_deleeuw]

I did the same with my local dealership, but with just $100 deposit. Sounds like a similar situation - I've bought a few cars at this dealership over the years, and I contacted the sales rep I most recently worked with when we replace the family SUV a few years ago. Bought my current commuter car there nearly 10 years ago - hope to get that same 10 out of my new Bolt!

A couple weeks ago my rep contacted me to let me know he got to sit in a preproduction Bolt at a training that he attended - thought it looked great. (What else would he say? Heh.) But I thought it was cool that he thought of me a few week after putting the deposit down.

Haven't heard yet when I'll be able to go in and be able to actually place the order, I'm guessing it'll be late August / early September given that production is supposed to start in October.

 

[Cleaner]

very similar to what I experienced. I test drove a 2017 Volt and seriously considered it for my 70 mile commute. I told my salesman that I would wait for the Bolt. He called me a few weeks later after seeing the Bolt for himself. He also said it looked great. He offered to contact me when their order sheet was enabled for the Bolt and find out how I wanted it and bring in a Bolt and give me an opportunity to buy it first. I have no guarantee of course. This is a small dealer and their allotment will also be very small.

 

[Roth33d]

Have you already looked into local, Provincial and Federal EV tax credits? Hopefully in the end you're able to get a good amount back. I heard Ontario brought back some of the credits it took away, or something along the lines of that.

 

[Electro]

http://www.forms.ssb.gov.on.ca/mbs/ssb/forms/ssbforms.nsf/GetFileAttach/023-2096E~3/$File/2096E_Guide.pdf

This seems pretty up to date for Ontario

 

[LightningBolt]

I don't see a problem with putting a refundable deposit down and they seem to have gone to trusted dealerships. At least you know you'd probably get a Bolt EV this year, can't say the same for people waiting for their Tesla.

 

[mbepic]

Have you already looked into local, Provincial and Federal EV tax credits? Hopefully in the end you're able to get a good amount back. I heard Ontario brought back some of the credits it took away, or something along the lines of that.

Ontario originally gave a maximum $8,500. tax rebate.......it was $8,250 on my 2012 Volt.
Now the Ontario rebate is max. $14,000 and that is what the BOLT EV is eligible for.
No federal tax incentive that I'm aware of in Canada.

 

[Electro]

Ontario originally gave a maximum $8,500. tax rebate.......it was $8,250 on my 2012 Volt.
Now the Ontario rebate is max. $14,000 and that is what the BOLT EV is eligible for.
No federal tax incentive that I'm aware of in Canada.

Now that is pretty crazy, $14k ?! I just realized on the website that is says "additional"

 

[mbepic]

Now that is pretty crazy, $14k ?! I just realized on the website that is says "additional"

Note that the incentive program states that the incentive amount cannot exceed 30% of the MSRP ....do you think that GM will price the Ontario BOLT EV at the $46,700 price point with full options?
46,675 x 30% = $14,000.

 

[LightningBolt]

14k puts a huge dent in the MSRP price. Was $46,675 CAD the price your dealership quoted you?

 

[mbepic]

14k puts a huge dent in the MSRP price. Was $46,675 CAD the price your dealership quoted you?

They have no idea what the pricing will be like at this point; it is pure speculation on my part that GM will take full advantage of the Ontario incentive rebate since they know it CAN be $14,000.

 

[jimb]

Some Bolts with window stickers spotted at the Orion plant last week:

https://twitter.com/WRVoltec/status/735177012768182272

Could GM be ahead of schedule?

 

[mbepic]

Some Bolts with window stickers spotted at the Orion plant last week:

https://twitter.com/WRVoltec/status/735177012768182272

Could GM be ahead of schedule?

With a full roll-out coming up, they have a lot of BOLT EVs to build in order to supply all the dealers and then begin supplying orders; GM could be expecting big demand and it would be a shame if people had to wait months in order to get their car.

With that said, I wouldn't be surprised if they are ahead of schedule.

 

[Roth33d]

Then there's the other concern of parts, with all this demand for the actual cars, it leaves me concerned about their ability to have replacement parts available for the first few batches of owners. Last thing I want is to wait months for a vital part.

 

[DucRider]

Then there's the other concern of parts, with all this demand for the actual cars, it leaves me concerned about their ability to have replacement parts available for the first few batches of owners. Last thing I want is to wait months for a vital part.

GM has repeatedly stated Bolt will not be production constrained, so parts will be available.

I doubt that will be the case with the Model 3. Plus, if some idiot blows a red and T-bones your new Model 3, do you go to the end of the queue to get it replaced?

 

[Roth33d]

GM has repeatedly stated Bolt will not be production constrained, so parts will be available.

I doubt that will be the case with the Model 3. Plus, if some idiot blows a red and T-bones your new Model 3, do you go to the end of the queue to get it replaced?

Glad to hear that since not only is that vital for us but it's important for GM with how competitive the segment.

 

[Raymondjram]

With a full roll-out coming up, they have a lot of BOLT EVs to build in order to supply all the dealers and then begin supplying orders; GM could be expecting big demand and it would be a shame if people had to wait months in order to get their car.

With that said, I wouldn't be surprised if they are ahead of schedule.

At the "gm-volt.com" site there is a forum member who owns GM training facilities in Texas (he trains Volt techs). He reported that GM has begun their Bolt EV training program. And someone else did report seeing a Bolt EV test vehicle for training (it is probably a "pre-production" vehicle that will never be sold) while attending another type of training.

GM, just as many other large manufacturers, will be preparing trainers and the first group of Bolt EV techs in the coming months, so when production begins in October, all the qualified dealers have their servce tech trained and ready.

 

[Bazinga]

This is just one more indicator of the Bolt EV approaching release date! Good to hear that training starts earlier since EV cars are different that gas powered ones.