Chevy predicted to sell up to 80,000 Bolts in a year
The time of the affordable long range electric vehicle draws near with the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt slated to release later this year. With similar range and pricing as Tesla’s Model 3 the world will watch to see which company comes out on top with its electric offering.
Given the unprecedented popularity of the new Tesla, with its luxury styling and reputation as a technological innovator, the Bolt may not seem to stand a chance, but it does have one thing going for it: it comes out at least a year before the first Model 3 even hopes to be available. In that year, an industry analyst predicts that the Bolt will move at least 30,000 units and possibly even more up to 80,000. Considering that even the world’s most popular alternative fuel vehicles took years to sell 80,000 cars, this prediction could mean the Bolt is poised to become the most popular electric car on the market in a very short period.
As of this moment there are over 400,000 preorders for the Tesla Model 3. An absolutely crazy number, but now that demand is high, Tesla must boost its production to match. The CEO of Tesla has stated before that he doesn’t see other automakers as a threat and that the Chevy Bolt specifically isn’t competing for the same market as the Model 3. But of course, he doesn’t really get to decide. The company faces a steep challenge meeting the production demands for its cars and that could hurt sales especially if people see the Bolt immediately available. And there’s a strong possibility that many of those pre-orders won’t translate to guaranteed sales. The Bolt on the other hand could benefit from General Motor’s seniority in the business, manufacturing reliability, and deep pockets for marketing.
Critics of the prediction point out the very wide range of the possible sales, which make it seem less like a serious prediction and more like a flashy headline, but it’s important to note that even at the low end of the spectrum, selling that many electric cars in a year would be something no company has ever done.