Chevy Bolt - 200 mile range for $30k base price (after incentive)

[scaesare]

The point was that the Gigafactory's output would be so large that it is measured in GWh, rather than MWh.

There are already factories that output GWh of cells.

 

[RobStark]

There are already factories that output GWh of cells.

But not in the USA.

 

[scaesare]

But not in the USA.

Perhaps you missed where I said: "...he was differentiating the scale of the factory from what exists anywhere in the world today."

 

[Yggdrasill]

The "giga" in gigafactory does refer to gigawatthour. But it can be argued just 1 GWh isn't enough to be called a gigafactory. It depends on when you go from refering to MWh to GWh.

If you look at for instance large nuclear reactors: EPR (nuclear reactor) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can see that instead of talking about GW, they consistently use MW, even as high as 9900 MW. This is because there are several significant digits - instead of saying 1.250 GW, you say 1250 MW. When you start using GW, you're bascially saying that everything behind the decimal mark is irrelevant. I would say that doesn't happen at 1.000 GW.

Personally, I think the point where you can start talking about a gigafactory is somewhere around 5 GWh of battery cell output. Whether you're talking about 5.0 GWh or 5.9 GWh is fairly unimportant, not like the difference beteen 1.0 and 1.9 GWh.

 

[igotzzoom]

For starters getting rid of the ICE, all of its associated hardware like catalytic converter, and the complex hybrid stuff like transmissions.

This. Pure BEVs don't have to deal with all the legacy hardware of hybrids or PHEVs. That's not to take away from the software and battery tech sophistication of the Bolt, but from a hardware perspective, its much simpler.

 

[scaesare]

The "giga" in gigafactory does refer to gigawatthour. But it can be argued just 1 GWh isn't enough to be called a gigafactory.

Certainly it's correct that the "prefix" giga- in Gigafactory has do do with production capacity in the gigawatt range.

But the premise of the article was that there was plans for a NA factory producing >= 1GWh, and thus it would be the first NA gigafactory.
Elon introduced the Gigafactory as a concept larger than anything else (including existing >1GWh factories around the world), and thus the premise of that article doesn't match the scale of what Elon is describing.

 

[Jeff N]

It's official.

"The all-electric 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be available late 2016".

GM Confirms Chevy Bolt Availability By Late 2016

 

[JohnSnowNW]

It's official.

"The all-electric 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be available late 2016".

GM Confirms Chevy Bolt Availability By Late 2016

Nothing's "official" in the automotive industry. Great to see that they plan to release in 2016, but a many caveats could be attached to "released."

 

[FlasherZ]

Nothing's "official" in the automotive industry. Great to see that they plan to release in 2016, but a many caveats could be attached to "released."

Either way, can't wait to see them around me. Great, cheap daily drivers, even if they're not road-trippers.

 

[tftf]

New info from USA Today:

• This really is the first car purposely built for ride sharing," says Fletcher...

• an exterior "that seems shrink-wrapped around the interior,"
• provides rear-seat passengers with ample room for three;
• large door openings and flat floors, which make entering and exiting the car easier;
• on-board cameras that on command project an image of a wide field behind the car onto the car's rearview mirror,
• self-sealing tires made by Michelin,
• the armrest console closest to the rear passengers are two USB ports for those in need of a quick smartphone recharge.
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• Bolt's dash and door panels were covered in fabric, suggesting that more design work was being done on those parts of the vehicle.
• One interesting feature Fletcher called "one-foot driving" took place when the automatic car was shifted from Drive to Low gear. In this setting, the regenerative braking force is stepped up significantly so that when the foot lifts off the accelerator the car immediately starts braking, a boon in stop-and-go traffic.

Chevy's Bolt EV designed with GM's new Lyft investment in mind

 

[hockeythug]

One-foot driving. "Interesting".

 

[Bangor Bob]

One-foot driving. "Interesting".

You know it, I know it, any EV driver knows it.

Ordinary people reading USA Today don't know it.

They better damn well have a charging infrastructure announcement to go along with the car.

There was a new picture in the article:

Bold New Graphics! (Hyurrrrk!)

 

[tftf]

There is also a short test-drive video on CNET:

Hitting the road in Chevys $30k, 200-mile Bolt EV - YouTube

 

[ggies07]

The name still bugs the hell outta me. Doesn't look like the marketing and engineering team were on the same page.....looks like it goes as fast as a golf cart.....but such is life, this will have to do.

 

[Bangor Bob]

No frunk.

That's kind of disappointing. Inelegant.

 

[ggies07]

Oh, also, I still don't understand why no one else can make an EV with a frunk. What the hell!?!

 

[hockeythug]

CNET removed the video. Pre production but the "frunk" looked like a mess of electrical wiring/connectors. Should be prolly welded shut in that case.

 

[MacroP]

New info from USA Today:

This really is the first car purposely built for ride sharing," says Fletcher...

I call BS. I don't buy into this statement at all. She just said this because of their alliance with Lyft for good PR. Those vehicle traits simply apply to any modern (EV) car and are certainly not specific to just ride sharing. If you were only designing an affordable EV car for family or city use would you leave out those features? I think not. If they were really 'purposely built' for ride sharing they would have added thick plastic seat covers and a driver's protection cage inside :tongue:

 

[Bangor Bob]

If they were really 'purposely built' for ride sharing they would have added thick plastic seat covers and a driver's protection cage inside :tongue:

And rubber mats instead of carpet, so you can hose it out at the end of the night...

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

"We're at CES, so everyone wants to talk about tech, but we think it's all about providing convenience to drivers and passengers in busy urban environments," says Fletcher.

So, don't expect any charging network investment.