2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Will Offer 238 Miles of Range

CARS.COM — Chevrolet says its 2017 Bolt electric vehicle will offer an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range. That gives it bragging rights over the 215 miles Tesla has projected for the base model of its rival Model 3 small EV unveiled earlier this year.

While pricing is not final, Chevy says the Bolt is expected to start around $37,500, bringing the final cost to $30,000 for buyers who qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Production is beginning in Michigan and GM North America President Alan Batey said in a statement that the Bolt “will start to become available at Chevrolet dealerships later this year.”

Tesla has said that the Model 3 will begin production in late 2017 and start at about $35,000. As of June, the company said it had about 373,000 reservations for the car.

While there already are a handful of more affordable electric cars on the market, including the Nissan Leaf (EPA-rated 107 miles range with a larger battery) and Chevrolet’s Spark EV (82 miles of range), the longer-range Bolt and Model 3 have the potential for greater mainstream appeal.

The Bolt achieves its range with a 60-kilowatt-hour battery pack mounted under the floor, a battery the size of that in a base tesla Model S. The company says it can be fully charged overnight with the onboard charger and a 240-volt plug; it can be topped up for about 50 miles in two hours.

Chevrolet also has said the car will be no slouch, with the motor putting out 200 horsepower and 266 pounds-feet of torque that it says will be good for a zero-to-60-mph time of just less than 7 seconds.

“While range is important, we knew Bolt EV owners would want more – more space and more power – and the Bolt EV delivers,” Bolt EV chief engineer Josh Tavel said in a statement.

Chevy also launched an informational EV driving website, chevyevlife.com, for the car, which offers more specific information about its features here.