[volta]

Spy photographers have caught the first glimpses of the production Chevrolet Bolt. You can see some differences between the production version and the concept. The side windows are different shapes, the low grille is shaped slightly different and the headlights look different. There are also fog lights added on the prototype.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/06/2017-chevrolet-bolt-begins-testing.html

 

[Roth33d]

Body looks like what would happen if the Sonic and Spark had a baby

 

[Raymondjram]

One can see the Sonic underpinnings. The "headlights" are holes cut into the covering so the light shines through.

 

[volta]

Yea, you are probably right about the headlights. It is looking like the Bolt is becoming a bit more mainstream with its design here. I definitely see the SOnic in this prototype. It looks very, very close to the Sonic with just the front end being different.

 

[Roth33d]

Then there's the spark part of it, how the top of the roof ends even with the shape of the side profile.

 

[Shuto]

Yea, you are probably right about the headlights. It is looking like the Bolt is becoming a bit more mainstream with its design here. I definitely see the SOnic in this prototype. It looks very, very close to the Sonic with just the front end being different.

LOL the only Sonic in the prototype is what the wheels are bolted to. Its a HEAVILY reworked Sonic platform, the similarites you see are, er, they're hatchbacks...

 

[Roth33d]

That's basically what it comes down to, design and structure DNA from those models all seen here in some shape or form. But the Bolt so far looks interesting, more than the Sonic or spark.

 

[Dr.G]

I think the new window line / greenhouse shape is less attractive than the concept. But it's not a deal-breaker.

 

[Shuto]

I think the new window line / greenhouse shape is less attractive than the concept. But it's not a deal-breaker.

yea its a little flatter up top but I think thats the necessities of making it viable for production. I mean no one would buy it if you could only fit 5 foot nothing's and dogs back there LOL...

 

[Roth33d]

yea its a little flatter up top but I think thats the necessities of making it viable for production. I mean no one would buy it if you could only fit 5 foot nothing's and dogs back there LOL...

It could be the first little people specific car

 

[Shuto]

FOr the first time GM confirms that yes in fact they have been testing the Bolt with 55 odd prototypes running around in various disguise.

Josh Tavel, the Bolt EV's chief engineer, said there are some 55 preproduction, camouflaged Bolts driving around right now, going through the sorts of testing preproduction cars receive -- tuning suspension and minimizing unwanted sounds, that sort of thing. The sound factor is doubly important in an EV, because without an internal combustion engine to generate white noise, the driver can hear everything else much more clearly.

http://www.cnet.com/news/chevy-confirms-chevy-bolt-ev-in-testing/#ftag=CAD3440c1f

 

[Roth33d]

That surprises me that we haven't seen any more spottings with 55 of them out

 

[Dr.G]

New quotes in this article here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/24/chevy-bolt-testing-video/

"We really wanted to convey the notion that this is running fast. It's happening," said Pam Fletcher, GM's executive chief engineer of electrified vehicles.

 

[Raymondjram]

As a curiosity, there is another "Bolt" being tested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI6rRmz__wo

But here is the Bolt video you expect from Chevy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOc4b81VzGI

 

[Shuto]

GMis now saying their Bolt protos are approaching and even exceeding their 200 mile range target.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/06/chevrolet-bolt-ev-prototypes-exceeding-200-miles-of-range-per-charge/

 

[Raymondjram]

GMis now saying their Bolt protos are approaching and even exceeding their 200 mile range target.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/06/chevrolet-bolt-ev-prototypes-exceeding-200-miles-of-range-per-charge/

So the Chevy Bolt may reach up to 250 miles per charge under best conditions (some Spark EV owners have passed 100 miles). That leaves the Superchargers as the only "bait" for the Model 3. By the time it arrives, many gas stations have installed the SAE CCS chargers to keep their gas car customers that have switched to electricity. The Bolt EV will outsell the Model 3.:laugh:

 

[Shuto]

So the Chevy Bolt may reach up to 250 miles per charge under best conditions (some Spark EV owners have passed 100 miles). That leaves the Superchargers as the only "bait" for the Model 3. By the time it arrives, many gas stations have installed the SAE CCS chargers to keep their gas car customers that have switched to electricity. The Bolt EV will outsell the Model 3.:laugh:

Probably, simply because people need convenience and Tesla still hasn't got that part yet. Yea its cool and edgy that they don't have a dealer network but try and sell that to Joe and Jane in the midwest, People want places to go when things go wrong.

I think the more relevant question is will the Bolt outsell the Leaf?

 

[Railfan]

Nope

Sorry, but I hope the Bolt does not look anything like what I am seeing in these preproduction views. The concept was much more to my liking.

 

[Shuto]

Sorry, but I hope the Bolt does not look anything like what I am seeing in these preproduction views. The concept was much more to my liking.

What are the protos possibly telling you, everything is a mask and ill fitting...

 

[Railfan]

Well, even with the masking and all, the general overall shape looks more like one of Chevys little cars (whatever they are called; Spark?), than the prototype. And so, I am not overly optimistic.