The General Motors EV1 has a bit of a checkered history with electric car buyers. It was the first pure electric production vehicle from GM, and was subsequently the last before the introduction of the Chevrolet Spark EV.
Now, we not only have the Chevrolet Volt, moving into its second generation, but Chevrolet showed off the Bolt Concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The Bolt name, though, is a tad problematic. The question of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show was always: “did you say Volt, or Bolt?” Really.
It’s almost certain the Bolt will not enter production with its current name, so Green Car Reports brings up the question, should General Motors call the production Bolt the EV2?
Naming its 200-mile range electric car the EV2 would pay homage to the long lost EV1, but maybe the EV1’s reputation is a tad too tarnished to bring the name back. Green Car Reports searched electric vehicle forums and found there are still harsh feelings towards GM and the EV1.
“I don’t care how far you can drive on a Bolt, I would never buy a GM Electric car after what they did with the EV-1 from 1996 [to] 1999,” wrote one member of a Nissan Leaf online forum. “For those of you who never knew of this vehicle, look it up. I’m not bashing GM, I don’t trust them.”
Despite the criticism, General Motors has sold more plug-in vehicles in the U.S. since December 2010 than any other maker, and will certainly up the ante when it comes to electric vehicles, and the 200-mile range Bolt would make a serious case at its touted $30,000 price point after incentives. But it has to reach production first. And when it does, it likely won’t be called the Bolt. Nobody knows what name Chevrolet is flirting with, though.
So we ask along with GCR, should GM name its production Bolt the EV2? Vote in the poll and let us know your reasoning in the comments down below.
Comments
Chevy Electron
I am so tired of hearing all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the EV1. It was a rolling prototype that GM invited a select few people to test over a short-term lease. Then they took all this data back to further their electrical car engineering program. It was never intended to be a long-term customer vehicle.
EXCEPT that even today GM’s legal team will get on you if you try to make an EV1 museum piece functional for the road. It was pulled after a change in leadership. If not for that, the EV1 would have remained leaseable.
No like marland said lets move on.
Chevy Amp
It’s too bad they already used the “Spark” name….it would fit perfectly for the Bolt.
They could even use Ampera as it may be discontinued.
Amp electric Vehicles still exists…
Once one of the most successful and profitable EV builders, they converted Saturn’s into electric cars for export to bypass european tax regulations.
While the EV factory in southern Ohio closed its doors a year after Saturn went away, the company still exists , but focuses on work trucks and delivery drones.
This is a really good question.
I say yes. It would show that GM can stand up and redeem itself. But make absolutely sure that it’s an outstanding vehicle and use the EV1 to launch a campaign to show how far the technology has gone.
Real winners are bold and are not afraid to take risks. Never leave people indifferent.
They need to get their naming scheme for EVs figured out now so they don’t run into problems like what Cadillac is currently facing with it’s restructuring of names, that is, if they go the route of alpha-numeric.
If this gets named the EV2, what happens when they release a 7 seater EV crossover, then a coupe, and sedan.
Saturn has the names for an EV line up:
Vue 5 – 5 seat CUV (this ‘bolt’)
Vue 3 – Hatch back
Vue 7 – 7 seat CUV
Aura 4 – compact/midsize sedan
Aura 6 – full size sedan
Ion – coupe
Market the entire EV powertrain as the ‘SkyDrive’. It’s catchy, it sounds cool to the general public, and most importantly it sounds like it’s more advanced than any other manufacturers hybrid or EV marketing gimmick names.