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2017 Chevrolet Bolt Now Available Nationwide

Introduced in January 2016 and on sale since December, the Chevrolet Bolt managed to move 12,249 examples through August 30, 2017. Most of them (11,670) were sold in 2017, mostly because initial availability was restricted to California. As of September 2017, the Bolt is finally available across the U.S.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt 28 photos
Photo: Chevrolet
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Priced at $37,495 before the $7,500 federal tax incentive, the Bolt squares off with the Tesla Model 3. But in comparison to the competitor from Fremont, the General Motors electric vehicle has crossover aesthetic qualities. It’s no wonder, then, that premium-oriented automaker Buick will introduce a full-fledged crossover with Bolt underpinnings next year for the 2019 model year.

Going back to the Bolt, the golden bowtie makes a case for its electric vehicle through owner testimonies. Maria Mraz of San Francisco argues: “Everyone who rides in it just loves it. It’s very modern-feeling and so easy to drive. I’m very happy with my Bolt.” What Maria failed to highlight is how the gray interior creates windshield glare, how the battery may degrade as much as 40 percent over the warranty period, and the lack of adaptive cruise control.

Including the bad points, it’s true the Bolt does its job as an electric vehicle much, much better than the Spark EV or previous General Motors attempts at going zero-emission. Covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty, the Bolt has won almost 40 independent awards. The subcompact-ish hatchback was tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety a while back, with the IIHS naming it Top Safety Pick without + due to poor headlight performance.

Other than the Model 3, the second-biggest threat to the Bolt comes from Nissan. The second-generation Leaf may be available with a 40 kWh battery in the first instance, but 2018 will see the introduction of the 60 kWh long-range model. If the Japanese automaker can mirror the 238-mile of the Bolt – or better it – Chevrolet will be put between a rock and a hard place.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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