Is The Chevrolet Bolt UnFIT To Even Be Compared To The Tesla 3?

You can compare anything to anything! You can compare a firecracker to a Saturn-5 rocket. Sometimes, a specific characteristics' difference is orders of magnitude apart. Other times, less so.

Anyone who feels that a Tesla is "beyond compare" is delusional. I think we might have a few of those folks aboard ;-)

The correct word would probably be "comparable".

Between the Bolt and the Model 3, many similarities and differences are listed by SanJoseDriver below. I'd like to add a few major differences that no amount of money can buy for the Bolt EV now or in the immediate future:

- RWD or AWD, which provides world-apart handling compared to FWD. I understand people consider the Bolt a commute car and don't expect it to handle any better than other mundane EVs or FWD cars out there. That's why the Model 3 can really compete with other sporty cars in its size/price class ICE cars where the Bolt cannot.

- Performance model. The Bolt is stuck with whatever it is, whereas there will be several performance models for the Model 3 to choose from.

- The Bolt is a compliance car - period. There is no serious effort from GM to promote it to be an ICE car competitor.

- Buying the Bolt is a once-and-done deal - the car will only get worse over time. With the Model 3 or any Tesla vehicle, the car will get better over time without the customer paying extra (unless he skips the AP and FSD features and opt in at a later date). In fact, no other car in existence offers such options.

With the release of the Model 3, German and Japanese automakers are seriously planning for full EVs, not only to remain in compliance with emission standards but to survive. Even with the EPA being sabotaged by the oil industry and Trump's cronies, everyone else in the world is moving forward with stricter emission standards. China - the elephant in the room - is now replacing the US as the leader. By 2020, the US will fall even farther behind since Tesla is still not big enough to carry the US market while GM, Ford and Ram are content with making profits on their pickup trucks.

GM and Ford's dragging their feet on EV development will only hurt them in the long run. They already have a huge customer base in the car rental industry, they should at least offer some EV options in this space - and expose EV to a wider audience with "extended test drives". That should make EV adoption a bit faster and open up traditional ICE car owner to the potentials of EV.

The Bolt is the best attempt at a dedicated EV so far besides Tesla Vehicles. It even has more range then the base Model 3, but it lacks Tesla's looks, autopilot, streamlined interior, OTA updates, glass roof, supercharging access, and many luxury features in the premium package. I don't think very many people would ever choose a Bolt over a Model 3 if the Model 3 was readily available.

And all the Bolts, that never were, are all in rental fleets that use no gas...\
SJD for the win. The Bolt is a bit of an odd duckling. Honda Fit clients would be the cross shoppers. Maybe Leaf buyers too. I think Prius owners are a bit more stylish at heart.

Query: What car starting at $35k -- or put it this way: low end luxury car -- has sold 500k units a year? Just wondering.

None, so far. If you're referring to the Tesla Model 3, I believe the actual sales so far are about 80. The orders are just that: Orders. Not sales.

Well said Steve. No carmaker is that much better than others that its product are not comparable. With that said, the Model 3 certainly looks nicer than the Bolt, yet I do not think the Model 3 looks all that luxurious (where I do think the Model S looks luxurious).

Actually the two cars are not cost competitive. The Tesla 3 model all the reviewers are gushing over is the loaded coming in at just under $60,000. The Bolt average test price is around $38,000 (before tax incentives). At the same price point the Bolt has longer range and if you believe that the interior on the Tesla is worth $50++ large, you need to get out and shop more.
And to HenryM above stating that GM and Ford are dragging their feet on EV development, the Bolt has been on the market for 8 months.

@Truthy wrote: "the Bolt has been on the market for 8 months" - Right! and the mighty GM has managed to move a grand total of 10142 units during those 8 glorious months. In July alone, GM sold more than 45000 Silverado Pickup trucks. Tell me if the Bolt is a success story by any measure.

Without deep discounts how many Bolts could GM have moved out of dealer lots ? GM brass keep saying the slow sales were due to supply constraint whereas the dealer ads scream discounts on every Bolt EV available - who do you believe ? Do a quick internet search on Bolt EV for sale, and show me one selling at MSRP.


As for Ford, the chairman Bill Ford said this when he fired Mark Fields: "We’re moving from a position of strength to transform Ford for the future". I guess that future has to wait for a while since there wasn't a damned new thing coming out of Ford over that time. They are still busy rearranging the office furniture.

@HenryN Losing Mulally hurt big time.

The Premier trim of the Bolt EV starts at $42k, the long-range version of the Model 3 starts at $44k. Bolt LT starts at $37.5K, standard Model 3 will be at $35k. Most Bolts I've seen on the road are the Premier trim (easily recognizable by the black accented rims), so not sure where you are getting the $38k average price.

Anyone who mistakes the interior of a Tesla3 for a "Luxury" product - needs an Optometrist. However - one ALSO must look at what the Model3 is - verses the Bolt. The Model3 is not the first (In along time) electric vehicle from the company - it is a result of previous work on several far more expensive EVs produced by a company that ONLY produces electric vehicles (So it must get them right or else.) - On the other hand - the Bolt is the first edition (Yes I remember the EV-1 but the bolt is not based on that) - of a new structure for a car company that makes its profit on 4x4 Truck based vehicles. That GM was not only able to produce a functional Electric Vehicles - but to also bring to market a car that actually does reside in a reasonable price structure is significant. MORE important - I believe - will be the BUICK that is being produced - based on BOLT platform - but with a more conventional car design. ANd that will still be only their SECOND EV. GM - meanwhile also defined the Plugin Hybrid vehicle as well. (Now in its second generation) - and while sales have been poor - that is true of virtually all EVs and Hybrids in an economy where the price of oil makes it hard to justify the added cost of a Hybrid or an EV - and in most cases - you cannot do it right now.

And Until an EV can be justified as being advantageous - and until they actually come down into a price range where an average buyer can consider them - they will continue to have problems in sales. I believe the cost of gasoline has pretty much pushed off the "almost green" buyers - leaving a small dedicated EV market. And remember - the BOLT has outsold the Model3 so far as well. We do not know if the availability of the 3 in its higher priced forms will result in better sales for the Bolt from those looking for a less expensive car (Remember - Bolts are not sold at list price - they are discounted at the dealer level - something the TEsla is not so you cannot directly compare list prices.)

As far as GM and FORD - and whatever other manufacturer is dragging their feet - they see the car market slipping into a coming recession - PLUS they have more than just EVs to offer - and since the market will still be dominated by ICE cars (Maybe crossovers) for a few more decades - until an infrastructure for Electric cars actually appears - THey are in the position of being able to address the needs of the ENTIRE car buying public - especially the overwhelming MAJORITY of us who would NOT consider putting that much money into a technology that has virtually no Infrastructure outside of major metropolitan areas- has few sales/service outlets that do not compete because they are ALL owned by the same company - and are priced well above the price of the average car they buy. WHen there are as many charging stations in the country as there are GAS pumps - then the time for competition might start - but that is not going to happen anytime soon.

Even if the Bolt EV and the Model 3 are in a different class, a comparison is apt, as they are the companies' only current BEV offerings in this price range. This indicates the different thinking and approaches the two companies are taking towards BEVs. There are pros and cons of both and there is a market for both.

@Aspy11
You sound like you get your "facts" directly from the Donald. completely delusional.

Aspy11:
Maybe you read your post again. With some hard thinking you miht see a small difference between government subsidies and raising funds for investments. But then again, maybe not.

Sure, and GM and Chrysler got tens of billions of dollars which... were never paid back. Surprise, Telsa actually repaid their loan to the American people and created more auto industry jobs in the past 5 years than any other American automaker.

Typical idiot liberal response: "...tens of billions of dollars...". Liberals make up facts when they cannot prevail in a debate. If you listen to friends of yours like Maxine Waters, "700 billion Americans were at risk of losing health care." That's in addition to the 90 million dying each day from gun violence.

I'm going to assume you don't see the irony in that statement. Whether you like it or not, things are going to change quite a bit over the next few years.