Production Chevy Bolt Will Debut At CES

Chevrolet Bolt concept (Credit: Chevrolet)

The Chevy Bolt hasn’t even officially been revealed and is already a lightning rod for controversy. While the wisdom of the name might be questionable, everyone will find out at CES what the production version of the electric car looks like.

For Chevy, the Bolt could be a huge win. Pricing is expected to start at $37,500 without any government incentives. It should be able to go 200 miles in between charging sessions. While so many are worked up about the possibilities with the Tesla Model 3, the Bolt poses a very serious threat as a potentially highly practical yet affordable all-electric vehicle. On top of that, the Bolt will be sold in all 50 states, something Tesla sadly can’t do at the moment.

A recent report from The Verge claims that this January, the production version of the Bolt will make a huge splash at CES. The site said that during the Los Angeles Auto Show, one Chevy executive confirmed this plan. Many years ago the electronics show was largely devoid of cars, but it’s becoming an increasingly important place for automakers to show off their wares and boast about the latest technologies coming to the road.

Helping out with this plan, GM’s CEO Mary Barra is the keynote speaker for CES. With the spotlight firmly focused on the automaker, the debut of the Bolt should make a huge splash not only in the automotive and tech media, but also in mainstream outlets. That means consumers who have been interested in purchasing an electric car but have concerns about price or range could become focused on the Bolt.

Rumor is that GM will fire up Bolt production towards the end of 2016, with the cars arriving at dealers in the first quarter of 2017. LG Chem is helping out with batteries and other components for the cars, which will ride on a super-secret platform GM developed from scratch.

Will the Bolt be a runaway hit for GM? Is this the car that will push electric vehicles more into the mainstream? At least in January we’ll all have a clear look at something other than a concept.