My open letter to the Chevy Bolt, from a Tesla fan.

[AUSinator]

Gm got the range right however the Bolt does still feel just a 50% effort. We must not forget the bolt price without incentives is similar to an Audi a4 or a BMW 3. When I see the bolt it feels more like a corolla or Mazda 3 hatch competitor. It's like we don't want to make the bolt as good as a Audi a4 as then it competes against our combustion engine cars. So although the Bolt is the first reasonable priced good range Ev, the model 3 is the first no compromise, reasonable priced good range Ev that is a combustion engine killer/ direct competitor.

 

[McRat]

Gm got the range right however the Bolt does still feel just a 50% effort. We must not forget the bolt price without incentives is similar to a Audi a4 or a BMW 3. When I see the bolt it feels more like a corolla or Mazda 3 hatch competitor. It's like we don't want to make the bolt as good as a Audi a4 as then it competes against our combusting engine cars. So the difference the Bolt is first reasonable priced good range Ev however the model 3 is the first no compromise , first reasonable priced good range Ev that is a combusting engine killer/ direct competitor.

BMW does sell a Battery Only EV in the USA. It's called an i3 and has a base MSRP of over $41,000 which means not even a backup camera. It is smaller, has less range, less HP, fewer features,

Nobody outside GM and the Press knows how a Bolt/AmperaE "feels". The press says it's roomy, nimble, and quick.

To get the BMW 3xx into Bolt pricing, it's pretty stripped. Like no wheels, no seats. The Bolt will be $27,500 in California due to government programs. The BMW 320 with no backup camera or options, with a 4 cyl buzzbomb in the nose is over $34,000 MSRP.

To equip a BMW like a Bolt? Well... you can't. But adding cellphone integration and a backup camera and light color interior brings it to $37k.

And an Audi A4? Oh please. A Camry is a better car. Who the heck buys an A4? An A4 tells the world you don't enjoy driving, but you want to be in fashion.

 

[McRat]

Don't forget the world is bigger than California and most countries still don't have any incentives for Evs like where I'm from. Also don't forget that the average BMW discount in the US is almost $7000. Yes the base model BMW has less margin however expect at least $4000 off plus then you add what you said. Compare $37500 in the gm range to a Toyota Yaris Bolt. Can't you get those big ugly guzzler US 4wds for that kind of money.

California is the #1 car market in the world, especially for "green" cars. The world might be bigger, but there are few countries that have more cars on the road than California does, >30,000,000 now. This is roughly equal to the number of cars in England.

Only very expensive cars can afford $7k discounts in the US. Why? There isn't a $7k markup on the median priced car, it's about 1/2 that.

There is a massive consensus on this site that an EV powertrain cost the same as a gas powertrain. It's simply not true.

They cannot point to a single example where that is true.

But somehow it is expected that EV powertrains will be handed out for free, much like air conditioned reclining leather massage seats are handed out. Corollas have them, right? Much like deluxe seats, EV powertrains are a luxury feature, and a very good one, and a pricey one.

Someday EV powertrains will be competitive with ICE in the market, but that's not true yet.

 

[AUSinator]

California is the #1 car market in the world, especially for "green" cars. The world might be bigger, but there are few countries that have more cars on the road than California does, >30,000,000 now. This is roughly equal to the number of cars in England.

Only very expensive cars can afford $7k discounts in the US. Why? There isn't a $7k markup on the median priced car, it's about 1/2 that.

There is a massive consensus on this site that an EV powertrain cost the same as a gas powertrain. It's simply not true.

They cannot point to a single example where that is true.

But somehow it is expected that EV powertrains will be handed out for free, much like air conditioned reclining leather massage seats are handed out. Corollas have them, right? Much like deluxe seats, EV powertrains are a luxury feature, and a very good one, and a pricey one.

Someday EV powertrains will be competitive with ICE in the market, but that's not true yet.

World fleet is way over 1 billion cars so California tiny 30mil then even tinier approx 200000 green cars are nothing to the world.