In a statement released in advance of this weekend’s Chicago Auto Show, GM announced this morning that the Bolt will be manufactured at the company’s Orion Assembly factory in Michigan.
“The message from consumers about the Bolt EV concept was clear and unequivocal: Build it,” GM North America President Alan Batey. “We are moving quickly because of its potential to completely shake up the status quo for electric vehicles.”
GM is also likely moving quickly because sales of the company’s Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid that gets significantly fewer miles per charge, have sagged.
Additionally, there is the specter of the Tesla Model 3, which that carmaker claims will get the same mileage as the Bolt for $35,000. Both cars have unofficially been slated for production in 2017, though neither GM nor Tesla have released detailed timelines.
Aside from an upper-hand in aesthetics — it’s hard to image a Tesla that isn’t sexier than the Bolt — Tesla may have the advantage of providing its own batteries for the Model 3, while GM is reportedly sourcing its Bolt batteries from South Korea’s LG Chem.
Of course, until these car companies provide concrete timelines and specs for their respective vehicles, all anyone can do is speculate about which will come first and which, if either, will win over consumers.
by Chris Morran via Consumerist
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