Community Question: Is The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Priced Right?
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It’s a hot button issue as of recent. The internet has poured in to comment on whether Chevrolet’s most revolutionary vehicles in recent history has hit the sweet spot in regards to pricing.
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will arrive with a $37,495 price tag before any federal or local tax credits are applied. In Chevrolet’s initial release, that meant a price of $29,995 after federal U.S. tax incentives.
That figure also undercuts the average price of a new vehicle in the U.S., which has crept higher than $30,000 for the past few years. Whichever price tag you’re using, let’s break down what it nets you.
The 2017 Bolt EV will arrive standard with 238-miles of range from its battery pack, a 10.2-inch touchscreen unit, Regen On Demand, one-pedal driving functionality and a rearview, rear-vision camera are all included.
DC fast charging capability will be optional, as will more luxurious appointments like leather and heated seats.
So, is the 2017 Bolt EV’s price right? That’s for you to decide in this Community Question. Vote and talk to us down below.
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The Bolt is a steal for the technology that it has but I do still think that it is priced to high to be a mainstream alternative to many to use as a daily driver commuter car.
Cadillac should get on board and do a bigger, more luxurious and faster version of the Bolt.
By making a Cadillac ‘version’ they could justify charging a lot more for it.
Agreed. I think the Bolt will be a huge proof-of-technology and strategic success, but a modest market success (selling 30-50k per year, for a company as huge as GM, does not really move the needle by itself) b/c $30k for a compact Chevy does not have mass appeal (and that’s before considering the people who won’t buy any pure EV, not matter how good/cheap it is).
As long as Cadillac doesn’t do it half-a**, as they did with the ELR (besides the design; I loved that), they should definitely have a Cadillac ELS-EV “Bolt” for $15-$20k more. Something that competes (price, performance tuning, ride & interior quality, and style-wise) with a Mercedes AMG GLA45, etc.
Agreed. A Cadillac version could do well if done correctly. After all it is luxury car buyers that are more likely to be able to afford a 3rd vehicle in the driveway just for commuter purposes or just so they can show their neighbors that they have a ‘green’ conscience.
(besides the design; I loved that)
it was a jaw dropper down the stairs-zer
Well the car is priced right for what you are getting and is a stepping stone to make this technology available in higher volumes to help drive down the price. This is a process that will be taken in steps and this is the next step.
For Cadillac to get into the game they need to get a larger S like Sedan ready. But right now they need to get the CT6 with the ICE into the market and up to speed as it is the primary source of profit and then bring a similar larger sport sedan that would sell at a premium.
I am in full agreement Cadillac should have a part in this but right now they have so many other things in the works a break even car is not a priority yet.
We will see them go electric but only after they get the high profit SUV and CUV models all out. You have to have money to invest into product like this first or you get desperate and have to presell a car that is not finished or will be ready for production for a year or two.
GM is a for profit company first and we must keep this in mind.
JDN stated their goal is to make enough money they can fund their own projects. [Hidden meaning for we will fund the products we want not GM]
I know that for 2016 it is not expensive. I just wish it was less expensive for me to afford it. I’m poor… but the world doesn’t revolve around me right. I know that it will get there. I like the way it looks and I like the fact that GM isn’t trying to muscle out the money impaired buyer with this car. I feel that the exterior is elegant and sporty at the same time. I love that they carry the Volt theme over to the Bolt but they also incorporate cues from the new Malibu in it as well. The interior seems to be a comfortable place with all of the creature comforts you would expect from a technology centered vehicle. I think it is going to be a hit and I cannot wait to drive one… and one day own one.
If it’s not a hot seller, maybe watch for lease deals?
I think its too expensive, and hear me out.
I’m sick of hearing that the average price is over 30k (Its 33,560). Yes, that is true but people forget what averages mean. Extremes influence averages more than other numbers, and the total possible “range” is $15k-1.5 million.
What it does NOT mean is the “Average” (or typical person) spends $33,560. This is what I feel is the major flaw of this point/argument. The “average” income can’t afford the “average” car price.
I bring this up because I think this car is falling eerily close to the “deadly middle”. Those with more money will go for the tesla or the new porsches, BMWs, etc. Those without the money are getting priced out. This doesn’t include the price of a 220 charger for example being installed at your house, or the fact that you need some charging facility, and all those little caveats.
Now I think they can sell them, but they aren’t going to sell them in volumes. this is going to be a 3rd car for many households, or maybe a car for a city dweller- but one thats well off enough not to have a huge problem with a large $35k purchase + a parking spot to manage it.
It leaves me asking the question, “Who” is going to buy it? Suburban soccer moms? (too small). Millennial city goers? (no place to park/charge it, too pricey), Middle management? (wrong brand), the wealthy? (Wrong brand/feature sets)
No one has been able to tell me who is supposed to buy this thing… And trust me, I “like” this car… I want it to be successful, I just think its too compromised- Too small OR too expensive OR the wrong brand.
For chevy, this needs to be 22k-28k max as is, or 38-45k and physically larger, or 40-55k with a cadillac badge.
Umm, well, me (assuming the seats work with my fused lumbar spine).
Per my son’s advice (he’s in the green energy field), technology is advancing with sufficient rapidity in this area that you won’t want to be committed long-term with a purchase, so I will be leasing for 3 years.
I’m an attorney, retired from a corporate job and now working from home as an arbitrator/mediator. I live in a major metro area, and ideally situated, 20 minutes from both downtown, major shopping and the airport. More to the point here, I’m an early (but not bleeding edge) adopter. Did programming in high school in the 60’s. Bought a Palm Professional as soon as the prices came down. Replaced my spouse’s Lexus RX with a Toyota RAV4 hybrid, which gets 36mpg. Just upgraded my phone to Android Nougat today.
Surprised that we’re all still driving the land equivalent of stinkpots, and think that GM/LG Chem know, by now, exactly what they’re doing, so I don’t think this will be risky at all. (But not real sure about local dealership support.)
From the reviews, I think it will be a fun drive in the metro area, plus how many cars out there are wind-powered?
Chevy would love to be able to sell this at $18K if they could but the fact is the market is not there yet.
As it is now GM needs more suppliers and more of the items used in the car made in greater numbers to make them cheaper. Right now the goal is to either break even or minimize the loss to create a segment and market where more cars are sold and more motors and batteries are made. The more made the cheaper they become.
That has been the goal here and with the Volt all along. You can not make them cheaper unless you make them in the first place.
GM I fell has the new Prius here as it will cost and appeal to the same people who bought so many Prius. But with that said they need to be working on the next thing as people have started to abandon the Prius. Also there will be competition like the new leaf and other cars to come.
To be honest they are really pushing the envelope here with price and they can do this because of much of the ground work done by the Volt.
Few car companies could have done what GM has so far on their own. Most would have had to partner up with someone to get his far. GM did but with suppliers like LG etc.
The fact is this all had to start some where and over time it will get cheaper and better but it will take more new product and more advancements. The shear volume will also drive the prices down.
Once technology is developed it get cheaper once you sell it. The more you sell it and use it in more things the cheaper it gets.
GM is not going to make a lot of money here or even any money. That was not the goal. The goal is to establish the things needed and the market to drive this forward. This is just another step into the future.
I 100% agree with your final paragraph.
I’ve read numerous articles explicitly saying because this comes in at $30,000, which is “Less than the average price of a new transaction”, I quote from article headlines, “Chevrolet’s Bolt is an electric vehicle for the masses”
While I 100% agree with you, this is not true. They are not going to sell half a million bolts because its so “cheap” anyone can afford it, as the articles allude to.
The fact is, $30,000 is still expensive for the typical buyer, and there’s not a giant segment clammering for this car. I like this car, I think it will sell a fair number, but its not what the press is making it up to be,
This car is not going to be ubersuccessful. They will sell some, but they aren’t going to sell 500,000 of them.
But I agree that they are positioning themselves well for the future and getting closer to the point where they will have the right products in the right place to be there for the masses.
I expect this car will sell better than the Volt. It will do well and attract many people from outside GM that would never buy a ICE GM car.
You can not think of this in normal terms as it is not a normal car. The range is key here as it has decent range and usability factor here.
Like the Prius that attracted many new buyers to Toyota this car will do the same for GM.
Now it will not sell in Cruze numbers I am making no claim like that but it will sell in greater numbers than most electric cars and most hybrids.
The fact is this is not a car for anyone but it is the leading model in a more open price range for the people who buy products like this.
We will find cars like this will sell more like smart phones than cars. The segment will become what can they upgrade and offer new each year. This will drive the segment. These are as much a techie product as an automobile.
With $8700 going to LG Chem just for the battery, let alone all their other components, the Bolt EV is, at best, a non-profit enterprise for GM. But we simply aren’t equipped to understand the meaning of that at the corporate level. What will be the impact of producing 30,000, or 50,000 or more zero-emission vehicles on GM’s compliance with the CAFE standards for cars? What role will the Bolt EV have in all this: https://www3.epa.gov/otaq/standards.htm? What else does GM have to offer (so far) on this front, and what if the Feds copy these standards and mandates: https://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/calif_zeroemiss.cfm?
Frankly, I don’t have a clue on any of this, but I gu-an-tee you that GM has a whole fleet of accountants and strategists whose job it is to know EXACTLY where the Bolt EV, at a whole variety of sales levels, fits.
Of course, sticking it to Elon has to bring smiles to faces too.
BY THE WAY — What pinhead at Tesla designed that HORRIFIC double iPad-long vertical display? SERIOUSLY. How is a display the size of an ironing board helping?
I have mixed feelings about this one.
For one side I feel the technology & for Chevrolet/GM to finally step up to the forefront of long range EV for the masses, the tech factor should be reflected on the prices; this isn’t another Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic for crying out loud, which most people believe.
On the other hand, I feel like the pricing was decided to be more inline towards an antagonizing attitude towards Tesla than a true attempt at selling to the mass public (Tesla heavily advertises their car ‘starting’ at $35k, so Chevy probably used that as their reference point).
If there’s one thing I learned as a Management student at Uni, it is that generally “People hate change”. You will have to do better to argue for a EV (even with such long range) that it will be a BETTER car in driving experience, ownership, and above all for most, LOWER COSTS to justify the change. This is where I’m not convinced a ~$37k compact, despite the technology, wearing a Chevy badge can be justified in most people’s eyes.
Tesla for all of its knee-jerking fanboys aside has garnered itself an enviable reputation that Chevrolet/GM don’t exactly have. Given their premium image that sits even higher than where Cadillac is as of now, Tesla can easily charge a premium on their stillborn Model 3 and still tack on options and still make a healthy profit from image alone, just like another electronic firm which sells more on its image than its actual products (coughApplecough).
For now the $37k can stand as no other competition has arrived to play with the Bolt as of now. However assuming Tesla DOES deliver their Model 3 by 2017 then the Bolt would have to seriously drop prices to keep sales up & kick Tesla where it hurts.
On the contrary I believe Tesla priced their car to try to make a media splash and GM set it to where they may not make much but they will not lose their shirt.
Keep in mind the $35K is a farcical number. Even right after the Model 3 announcement Musk stated clearly he expected that price to change by intro.
Keep in mind that the 3 was announced it was not even done. It is still a year or so from production and it is not going to cost $35K and if it does it will be a base model.
GM is doing their own thing and trying to bring a EV car to the market that has range, most people can live with and also offer it for a price that does not take a six figure income to support. They also made it so it was a car that is very usable in that it can carry people and cargo well. You know the stuff people do running around town as the car is intended to do.
Musk survives on the Hyperbole and only countered the Bolt news with the 3 to keep in the headlines and to presell cars because he needs the money since the X is behind in production and expectations. They really needed the X money to build the 3 and just did not get it. They have resorted to cheaper S models and even other price games to spur sales of the S that are doing ok but not like they were.
Building a car this advanced and selling at a piece of a Cruze is one of the most difficult things to do. GM at this point is farther ahead than most and appear to be willing to stick with it to gain a edge in the segment. This will be important not so much now but at CAFE and Emission standards continue to climb.
Tesla has done much right but they are far from out of the woods yet. The problem with the lack of profits and getting behind on new models to provide income is like a boat taking on water. You may have done it right by putting in a bilge pump in the boat but if the hole is letting in more water than it can counter things just get worse as time goes on as it is hard to plug that hole with water coming in.
The real thing here is the Bolt and 3 are two different kinds of cars. Also the Bolt comes pretty much loaded where the 3 will have to be optioned up like the S to get the toys most people want and that is a game changer on the price. Many will be north of $50K and Tesla is also about out of government rebates on buying EV cars. That one is $10K right there.
I hope both cars do well but I do not in anyway look at them in the same light or on the same mission. Both are electric and that is about it.
At this time Musk is in no position to challenge on the cheaper cars. He will need to update the S with more than a new nose and software. The X needs things fixed as the warranty issues have been a problem. The 3 needs to go right and deliver income but they need more money to put it in production.
The other issue is even if the 3 goes into production how long will it take to build the presold cars as they have more order than they have ever built total Tesla models. Can they get caught up and not mess up quality? Will people be willing to wait if the others come along with their new models?
At this point GM has it’s plan and Tesla is not an issue or part of it. Their focus is to continue development and drive down cost. They do not have issues of profits to worry about as they are supported by the truck and SUV sales to a very good profit. Tesla on the other hand will have to show a profit in the near future as government funding and additional stock sales will never keep them alive.
Here in Canada it’s price starts at $42,995 plus freight. Yes a couple provinces have a $10-11,000 rebate but the rest of Canada is SOL. Here in Sask, zero rebates. For $43,000 I can buy a Volt Premiere that uses zero gas most days on the commute to work and home (just like the Bolt) BUT doesn’t limit my driving range on trips.
This car had to be cheaper than a Volt otherwise why buy it.
I think everyone is forgetting that you can negotiate with GM dealers and a lot of cars are sold at big discounts to the msrp Last month you could get at least 16% off on Chevys including the Vot.
So 37,500 less 16% = $31.510 – $7,500 (Fed tax credit) = $24,010 for a Bolt.
If they discount this thing, the value proposition changes quickly… 20% off is 30,000 and 7500 off that is $22,500.. Thats getting to a VERY affordable price
Hey everybody: PLEASE do NOT assume that you will get $7500 off from the feds. Print out the tax form first, and then figure out if you even qualify for anything, which you may not. Then, even if you do, try to ballpark how this credit fits into the rest of your tax picture. It’s an ‘UP TO $7,500″ thing, and that’s about like ‘UP to $7,500 OFF!’ on the dealership lot–your mileage WILL vary, and it will be less, likely a lot less. #justsaying
Yes there are cases that may not qualify but 95% of those buying will get the rebate.
The one area that can come into play is that the over time Chevy will use up the total number of rebates like Tesla will shortly and then lose it.
The only real danger for this car right now is the Nissan Leaf. I am seeing radical changes coming to it. How many will make production is still the question as is price. This is what needs to be watched.
But as of the rebate no it is not a slam dunk for everyone as like anything there are rare acceptations but mos t people that it is targeted at will be able to get the rebate. .