We already knew General Motors’ plans to roll out 20 new battery-electric vehicles by 2023. Specifically, GM also said it would launch two new electric cars in the next 18 months. However, now we know those two electric vehicles will be based on Chevrolet Bolt EV technology.
Ken Kelzer, GM’s vice president of global vehicle components and subsystems, said in his address at the SAE International WCX World Congress Experience that the two battery-electric cars will come from the Bolt EV’s learning and tech, according to Automotive News.
Two specific products come to mind for the near-future electric cars. The first is a rumored Buick EV based on the Bolt EV. We heard about such a car last year, and Buick plans to show an Enspire EV concept later this month. The concept vehicle could foreshadow Buick’s own electric car.
The second is a performance-oriented electric vehicle from Chevrolet. A dealer source spilled details on the vehicle during Chevrolet’s national dealer meeting earlier this month. To the source, the vehicle also looked like a crossover.
A slew of new electric vehicles would firm GM’s EV portfolio up in the near future. That’s especially true if new intel suggesting the next-generation Bolt EV won’t arrive until 2025 proves true.
Comments
Gotta be like Tesla! GM board is trying to turn GM into a tech company. Once Tesla files bankruptcy and the stock crashes theyll learn
seems to me, gm is going into ev’s in a smart and deliberate fashion. unlike gm, tesla has all of their eggs in one basket. good luck.
Very true! If we ever run out of electrons, GM can still sell gasoline powered cars, even if we have to hand crank them.
“Gotta be like Tesla! GM board is trying to turn GM into a tech company.”
Since when did offering EV’s automatically elevate a conventional automaker into a tech company?
Hopefully one of the two new EV will be something larger because anyone who has gone to a Chevrolet dealership or seen a Bolt on the street knows it’s very compact; hopefully the Enspire EV will be the size of a Envision and the first thing that comes to mind when someone says Chevrolet electric sports coupe is the 2015 Chevrolet of Shanghai wild FNR concept car.
I agree it should be larger and designed as a true crossover. It should also reflect Buick‘s emphasis on luxury especially a smooth ride and ultraquiet interior. The road noise in the bolt is simply unacceptable for such a vehicle and that could easily be remedied. If that means a slightly heavier vehicle, it will be worth the trade-off. People who want to lower price, and the greatest possible economy can always go for the bolts.
I didnt think the Buick EV CUV was slated for North America, at least not at launch. China only
how does china expect to lower their pollution problems with electric cars when they generate most of their electricty with coal ??
China has more solar and twice the investment in renewable energy (solar, wind, etc) than the US. The comparison is actually pathetic for the US. Sure they have a lot of coal plants remaining but so does the US. Something around 30% of the US energy is coal.
China still is a developing country and rapid industrialization lead to the abundance of coal power plants. I believe at one time within the last decade it was said a new coal plant was opening every day. Look at any other developed country – UK and US, both were extremely dirty countries during their industrial development. Growth for UK US and Vhina relied on coal to meet demands. As quick as China developed and depended on coal so are they as quick at amping up the switch to renewables. China’s leaders see pollution as a threat, where as the US still debates global warming.
China is the world leader in renewable energy and account for ~40% of global renewable energy production.
As for electric cars, they have about 4x as many on the road than the US.
you better recheck you figures as 80% of the electricty is generated by coal in china.
You better recheck your reading comprehension. “China is the world leader in renewable energy and account for ~40% of global renewable energy production.”
Gasoline cars also use electricity made from coal. Or do you get gasoline from the sky and later piped into your home?
It’s a good sign to see GM is expanding the bolt technology, I always wondered why GM didnt build more versions of the volt? A larger sedan, cuv, small truck, small van.
who is going to buy all these vehicles as the percentage of these electric cars sold in the last 5 years is 3% of the total vehicles sold and it has not grown. these auto companies are going to take a bath on these EVs as it does not make economic sense to buy one. they are $20K cars with a $20K fuel tank (battery)
Are you kidding me? Dude like it or not electric and fuel cell vehicles are the future! And this is coming from a guy who is a gearhead that owns a 1970 c10 383/700R4 that gets around 10 mpg!
If I had it my way the only thing that would get built are performance cars, trucks, and SUVs!
they are not selling now and with all these tax rebates for buying one that are going away they will be not selling more. they keep finding more oil under the ground every year and they are not going to just leave it there.
“they keep finding more oil under the ground every year and they are not going to just leave it there.”
You think all known oil deposits are going to be tapped? If it’s not economically recoverable (and you may want to google that one), it WILL be left in the ground.
GM sold 20,000 bolts in 2017 and they sell that many silverados in a week.
The fact is the only reason GM is even in the EV segment is China . Their mandate on EV’s is to help clean up their air quality . And China is turning out to be the biggest market for automobiles surpassing the U.S.
Fuel cells and natural gas is mostly for buses and big trucks that haul trailers with finished goods .
As the range and weight of the battery packs get better range and less weight we’ll see S/Cuvs converted . Even Mary Barra said they have no plans to give up ICE’s anytime soon .
the mandate is states like calif. because GM need to sell so many ZEV (zero emission vehicles) if they want to sell PUs and SUVs where a lot of their profit comes from. the volt does not qualify because it is not 100 % electric. GM sells lots of cars in china but they make very little if any profit. i would suggest you sign up for the wall street journal to keep up with the world
Gm already told you that in these next 18 months there will be two electric cars( Crossovers) base off this gen bolt chassis. There already building a brand new electric chassis, it will be ready by 2020-2021, that is bigger, and allows for bigger crossovers and cars, longer range too be build on it. Also hydrogen fuel cell most-likely can be put on there went desirer.
Why is GM want to punch out 20 new EV’s in the coming years. Another article reads GM dealers want more CUV’s/SUV’s, not cars. Is it to justify the billion invested in EV’s? Put an EV system in a Equinox, or at least a good hybrid, and they’ll sweep the country. Cars are just too small for most families, gas models too, unless all you need is a commuter vehicle for work.
a EV system in a equinox would add $15,000 to the price. how many do you think they would sell ?? GM is asking the feds not to drop the tax rebate for buying a EV because without it would add $3500 to the cost. my wife worked at a dealership and the first question by most car buyers is “how much a month”
“a EV system in a equinox would add $15,000 to the price. ”
You just pulled that number out of thin fuking air.
a bolt is about the same size a cruze that sells for under $20K and a bolt list for 2 times that. why is that ?? electrification adds a lot to the cost of a car. the bolt replacement battery alone cost $15K +
And if the battery isn’t damaged or abused, you don’t need to replace it as it would last the life of the chassis.
Close, interior space of a compact but its a subcompact and is intentionally built on the same assembly line as the ICE Sonic…A tiny number of early Bolt batteries failed, GM has to factor in the replacement cost as well…