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Chevy Bolt test mule photographed
- Thread starter Trev Page
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- Electric Vehicles
igotzzoom
Active Member
Manufacturers do it all the time, including for vehicles that have already been publicly shown. I think it's just kind of standard protocol for test vehicles.
LargeHamCollider
Battery cells != scalable
CmdrThor
Active Member
JohnSnowNW
Active Member
Maybe, but GM didn't do it with the Volt mule. That is, not when they were using a Malibu.
thelastdeadmouse
Member
Part of why they do it might be the problem that Tesla had for a while. Media outlets used photos of prototype Model S's for over a year after production started and people would always comment on things that were changed before the car ever went on sale. Having camo on the car makes it pretty clear that its not a production car.
Actually I'm quite intrigued, and would seriously consider selling the Model S and getting one (if it ever comes to the UK)
The S is a bit too large for UK roads and parking bays if I'm honest. The range is moot for me, I'm a year in and I've barely seen sub 100 miles remaining range on the dash.
I could easily have coped with a Leaf or an i3 but they just shout "hey look at me in my electric car". That was a massive feature I liked of the Model S, and why I'm "wasting" one by driving it <7500 miles per year, almost exclusively in city traffic.
As a commuter for day to day needs this looks pretty much like most generic Euro style hatches / CUV's and would be absolutely fine for my usage.
The S is a bit too large for UK roads and parking bays if I'm honest. The range is moot for me, I'm a year in and I've barely seen sub 100 miles remaining range on the dash.
I could easily have coped with a Leaf or an i3 but they just shout "hey look at me in my electric car". That was a massive feature I liked of the Model S, and why I'm "wasting" one by driving it <7500 miles per year, almost exclusively in city traffic.
As a commuter for day to day needs this looks pretty much like most generic Euro style hatches / CUV's and would be absolutely fine for my usage.
MichFin
Member
It's so that you can't see the details. Since these cars are driving around town they don't want people taking pictures and sharing it with their competitors.
smac, that's a very unusual viewpoint. I am unable to process it because as a Tesla fanatic the syntax isn't recognized. 
Seriously tho, I'd say just wait for Model 3 then. You're right, the Leaf is pretty stupid-looking but I'm going to say a car with a 'chevy' logo - 10x worse.
Seriously tho, I'd say just wait for Model 3 then. You're right, the Leaf is pretty stupid-looking but I'm going to say a car with a 'chevy' logo - 10x worse. I still see camouflaged new Volts driving around even though that design is public. Once they build a prototype with camouflage it's usually not worth the effort to remove it after the car has been shown. That said, I do believe this is the Bolt and not a Spark or other prototype.
smac, that's a very unusual viewpoint. I am unable to process it because as a Tesla fanatic the syntax isn't recognized.
I know I've been known to be contrary
On a serious note, I do feel a bit forced into driving something that is MUCH more than I need.
EV-ifiction in and of itself isn't the end goal. Better use of the planets resources is, and everytime I get home with 150 miles range remaining I can't help but think maybe driving such a big car with one person in it maybe isn't the best way
Reduce > Reuse > Recyle, in that order (If only reduce didn't mean driving round in a clown car, in that regard the planet is suffering for my vanity)BTW I used to cycle, but injury put pay to that :O
I can't get the design out of my head. It bothers me, GM bothers me. Let's break this down:
- Nissan introduces the LEAF - futuristic looking, but gains sales
-Tesla introduces the Model S - sleek looking car, sales outpace demand.
-b) Everyone knows Tesla's plan for the third generation car for a few years now, the Model 3
So when GM comes out trying to compete with what Tesla is going to bring in 2017, they design this!?! Knowing the LEAF was too far out there and Tesla was juuuuust right?
EPIC FAIL. Looks to me like they don't care, still don't see Tesla as a threat (fore shame), or lack the skills to make a compelling EV.........
- Nissan introduces the LEAF - futuristic looking, but gains sales
-Tesla introduces the Model S - sleek looking car, sales outpace demand.
-b) Everyone knows Tesla's plan for the third generation car for a few years now, the Model 3
So when GM comes out trying to compete with what Tesla is going to bring in 2017, they design this!?! Knowing the LEAF was too far out there and Tesla was juuuuust right?
EPIC FAIL. Looks to me like they don't care, still don't see Tesla as a threat (fore shame), or lack the skills to make a compelling EV.........
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In fairness Tesla have come up with the X which is pretty fugly. Fingers crossed the 3 is more like the S!
The answer is D, all of the above.
OK, you're supposed to applaud the effort, not the result (that's what the parenting articles tell me). So, golf clap?
Aesthetic judgements are subjective. Very few people have expressed the opinion that the X is ugly. I think it is a very attractive design for that class and size of vehicle. I think the S is more attractive. I am not in the market for an X.
I too find the X a little bland, but I think that tends to happen with any vehicle that tall. Tesla has hinted that they've made changes so hopefully it will be prettier.
But yeah, this Bolt looks like a little bean-shaped econo box.
But yeah, this Bolt looks like a little bean-shaped econo box.
Bangor Bob
Member
I do wonder that GM is thinking sometimes. They must know that Tesla is benchmarking the BMW 3-series for the Model 3. What is GM benchmarking this against? At a guess, Honda Fit/Prius C and maybe MB B-class if you really reach. And it seems very duplicative of the Spark EV. So confused signals from GM, yet again.
At a guess, most of the board is still wary of the business case and so they're doing another "absolute minimum per-unit cost while meeting x range" job.
Bets on the AC charger being a mere 3.3kW and SAE-CCS being an option yet again?
At a guess, most of the board is still wary of the business case and so they're doing another "absolute minimum per-unit cost while meeting x range" job.
Bets on the AC charger being a mere 3.3kW and SAE-CCS being an option yet again?
Merrill
Merrill
Why is it that other manufactures cannot make a BEV that is attractive. Having said that you really cannot make a judgement on how a vehicle looks until you see it in person, and that is also true of the Model X. We know that it could be done even on a car that costs $35,000, it will be interesting what the Model 3 will looks like.
It is a deliberate decision. The ICE manufacturers do not want to sell an EV that looks like their ICE models because then it might steal sales from their existing product line. So they design "weirdmobiles" that they figure only the hardcore environmentalists will buy, and that will not cause them to lose sales for their ICE cars. Of course this approach is completely wrong, as clearly shown by Tesla: the Model S is a classically beautiful design that is also an EV, and sells like crazy despite its high price.
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