Did Chevrolet do this to try and confuse us or is it simple a change from one format of a hybrid/EV vehicle to another?  Having the Volt and Bolt made by the same company, and offering them as similar in their powertrains, at least from the fact that they are both some variation of hybrid power, makes it easy to get somewhat confused as to what we have going on.  The Volt is the green car we have had from Chevrolet already for a few years and the Bolt is the one that is meant to be a Tesla fighter and offer us a mainstream vehicle that will be affordable and offer the range we want.

While those are not the only differences, the Bolt is not even on the market yet as its slated for 2017, the focus should be on the Bolt and what it is about to bring to the market.  Recently there was a look at what the Bolt will be; shockingly it’s a hatchback build that greatly resembles the i3 from BMW.  Even though this car is not expected to be revealed until the Consumer Electronics Show in January, these photos have elicited a great deal of buzz in the automotive world.

The expectations, and so far they are right on track, of the new Bolt is that it will offer a price that is affordable at close to $30,000 and have a 200 mile electric range.  This range will make it much easier for those of us who have to commute on a daily basis to be able to do this and have the car charge up at night, making it ready for the next day.  This is certainly going to be a great change from our typical low ranges that need to be backed up by a gasoline fed range extender in the form of a four-cylinder engine.

Why will the Bolt be a Tesla fighter?  The Bolt will offer the range that is close to what the Tesla models offer but come at a much lower price.  This allows more people to be able to afford the Bolt.  With the Chevrolet bowtie on the front of the car the reputation of being made by a company more of us trust and are familiar with offer us the chance to buy a car that will perform perfectly for us and provide the necessary range for our everyday driving.

Another excellent feature of the Bolt is the fact it will be built in Michigan to make it a truly domestic product.  While this is not expected to be a car on the scale of the Tesla models with the luxury features but it certainly is one that you want to pay attention to as it arrives in January at the show and then makes it way to the lineup in 2017.  The Bolt will fill a need in most of our lives to have a car that is eco-friendly and affordable to drive for many of us.