Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
We’ve recently covered the “e-Camino” Bolt EV, a home-brew conversion based on a subcompact hatchback. At $20k, excluding the donor vehicle and a payload of 800 pounds, you can hardly call this thing a workhorse.
The question is, would General Motors do it better if the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit were interested in entering this niche segment? The answer to this question comes from Kleber Silva, the pixel artist responsible for the rendering before your eyes.
For starters, the front-wheel-drive platform of the Bolt EV has been stretched to accommodate a very small bed for added payload capacity. Speaking of which, General Motors would have to reinforce the unibody chassis to provide any sort of payload, and the resulting weight would affect driving range.
Secondly, think about the financial implications. Not only would General Motors spend a lot on research and development, but a truck-bodied Bolt would cost more than the five-door Bolt hatchback and Bolt EUV crossover. Excluding destination charge, taxes, and perks such as the total cash allowance, the entry-level Bolt EV LT model is currently listed at $37,495.
And finally, General Motors is looking to roll out the BEV3 next year while slowly phasing out the BEV2 architecture of the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. The all-new platform is designed for all-, front-, and rear-wheel-drive applications, battery capacities as large as 200 kWh, and a maximum driving range estimated at 450 miles (724 km).
At the Barclays Global Automotive Conference, the Detroit-based automaker has also let it slip how many trucks with all-electric propulsion are in the pipeline by 2025. In addition to the Hummer EV that features a puny five-foot bed, GMC will roll out a “full-size pickup” and the same will happen over at Chevrolet. In other words, General Motors is referring to the Sierra and Silverado half-ton pickups.
These being said, hoping for a Bolt electric truck is wishful thinking at best.
For starters, the front-wheel-drive platform of the Bolt EV has been stretched to accommodate a very small bed for added payload capacity. Speaking of which, General Motors would have to reinforce the unibody chassis to provide any sort of payload, and the resulting weight would affect driving range.
Secondly, think about the financial implications. Not only would General Motors spend a lot on research and development, but a truck-bodied Bolt would cost more than the five-door Bolt hatchback and Bolt EUV crossover. Excluding destination charge, taxes, and perks such as the total cash allowance, the entry-level Bolt EV LT model is currently listed at $37,495.
And finally, General Motors is looking to roll out the BEV3 next year while slowly phasing out the BEV2 architecture of the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. The all-new platform is designed for all-, front-, and rear-wheel-drive applications, battery capacities as large as 200 kWh, and a maximum driving range estimated at 450 miles (724 km).
At the Barclays Global Automotive Conference, the Detroit-based automaker has also let it slip how many trucks with all-electric propulsion are in the pipeline by 2025. In addition to the Hummer EV that features a puny five-foot bed, GMC will roll out a “full-size pickup” and the same will happen over at Chevrolet. In other words, General Motors is referring to the Sierra and Silverado half-ton pickups.
These being said, hoping for a Bolt electric truck is wishful thinking at best.
Google News