Analysts will be analysts. They have one of the best jobs: crunch data, and make an educated guess. No offense to any, but it’s a game of inferences.
The latest automotive inference comes from a Kelley Blue Book analyst, according to Autoblog. Karl Brauer has predicted General Motors will sell 30,000 to 80,000 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVs in its first model year. That’s very generous, and we’re sure GM and Chevrolet would be popping champagne on each floor of the Renaissance Center if that were to be true.
However, much of it rests on gasoline prices, production and more. Brauer does point out the advantages the 2017 Bolt EV has over the Tesla Model 3, such as its much earlier availability and availability nationwide, and it could mean one big sales advantage for GM: fleets.
Fleets could take kindly to an affordable electric vehicle with over 200 miles of range per charge. The fact it will be available across the U.S. bodes well. Add this to Tesla’s notorious nature of delaying vehicles, and the Bolt EV could be off to a good start.
Comments
Maybe 40 thousand tops given gas prices. Great predictions were made for gen 1 Volt.
Different scenario this time around though for these reasons;
– Bolt is well priced relative to it’s capabilities.
-Electric only range satisfies about 75% of commuters daily needs.
-Greater acceptance of electric (alternative) vehicles.
-Green buyers are no just about fuel prices.
I think 1st full year volume will top 60K.
Steve ppl want this car and as much as some ppl may prefer a Tesla, a number of those will buy the Chevy BOlt as they can have it now (now meaning when they are at the dealerships before the Tesla).
I can see 60-70k as jamdown is predicting.
I know this will win lots of downvotes from the selfish and conservative — but I want cars that fail to meet certain fuel economies to receive ‘green’ taxes for wasting fuel. I don’t care what gas prices are right now — the frickin’ planet is dying.
Let me put that a different way: THE FRICKIN’ PLANET IS DYING!
What this means is that if you can’t deliver a medical reason why you NEED a Yukon or Escalade (or whatever) you get slammed with a GINORMOUS penalty tax. Perhaps $2000. That $2000 goes into FURTHER Bolt and Volt incentives — making those cars downright affordable.
It’s these stupid buses that got us into this situation and I don’t care how cool you feel inside one — you’re killing US. You’re killing our children. YOUR CHILDREN.
Let the downvotes BEGIN!
The Suburban and Yukon combined sold about 80,000 units (even add in the Cadillac escalade’s 35,000 units) in 2015. while that number is good because of the profit margin, that also means that they account for a small percentage of the automobiles on the road. I am not saying that the big SUVs don’t pollute the atmosphere…but you cannot seriously be that brainwashed to think that a vehicle that accounts for a tiny amount of the automobiles sold is the be all end all killer of the planet.
Luxery Boats, cruise ships, and war ships account for massive pollution…they do way more damage than the eternally damned evil SUV.
The Bolt will be out by the end of 2016…do your part and purchase one.
BTW pool Man I gave you a thumbs up for your passion.
Dr. F
80,000 times $1000 ‘V/Bolt’ tax and 35,000 times $1250 same tax = BUCKETS OF MONEY. Now you divide that bucket by the number of Bolts to be sold and you get an additional $1546 discount off of a Bolt.
Understand me — that’s MERELY three guzzlers. If EVERY car ‘guzzler’ GM built was whacked with some sort of fee — as well as smaller but still not so small cars were hit with a small fee — you’d likely be able to take $3000 off each Volt or Bolt.
Soon you’d be making so many damn -olts the price on them would drop.
One thing people need to wrap their heads around is that EV (electric vehicles) are not clean as the production of electricity to recharge EV batteries generate greenhouse gases as it has been calculated that the Tesla S is responsible for about 292-346 grams of CO2 per mile meaning if every person driving a gas/diesel powered vehicle were to get an electric vehicle, the atmosphere would only be marginally cleaner unless every bit of energy used in this country came from hydro, wind, solar or nuclear.
BTW, how do you get your gasoline? Does it come through an outlet in your home or garage? The production, storage, and distribution (all those pumps!) uses up more energy than the content in the gasoline. So for every pound of CO2 that an EV generates, the gasoline cars generate at least three (two in the gasoline itself). If you don’t believe me, go suck on your tailpipe with the engine on!
Right. Electric isn’t clean until it’s utterly cleaned. But that’s irrelevant when you consider —
— the ecosphere is dying.
In other words — we have NO CHOICE but to switch to hydro, wind, solar.
if you want to help stop the earth from dying from pollution work on how to stop volcanos.
I thought that GM announced they were making 30,000. If they plan that many, would they be able to ramp up production that much if demand was there? Not sure if they would have the capacity.
The problem with any electric car besides the Tesla is charging station locations on the open road. Unless Tesla allows other ev’s to use their hook-ups the Bolt is a short haul city car. No-one saw the issue with long hauling ev’s except Musk. Where is the GM network of charging stations? I love the bolt but where car one drive it besides for short drives?