Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV break sales records in the US

It is this time of the year when all the automotive companies are reporting their first sales results. Tesla had a great start already but Chevrolet has its own reasons to celebrate. While the company increased its overall sales by over 15% compared to the same period last year, it is the humble Chevy Bolt that is making waves.

In terms of numbers, the sales may not sound impressive at a first glance. Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV sold a combined 19,700 units in the first three months of this year. Compare that to last year’s sales of just 358 units and we have a jump of over 5,500% - a huge result clearly showing the Bolt is very popular among EV buyers.

While the jump may sound impressive, it’s easily achievable when you start production - any increase would be significant, but jumping from 0 to 1 means a 100% increase. Far more important is the number of sales. Chevrolet initially had a production target of 44,000 units per year, and last year it sold 38,120 Bolt EV and EUV.

The new target is 70,000 units per year and the first quarter results show clearly that the company is well on track to achieve that - if not go beyond it. While the numbers may not be impressive compared to Tesla’s results, we need to remember that Chevy Bolt is actually the only electric car from the company currently on sale. Silverado EV deliveries are about to start in late Spring and both Blazer EV nor Equinox EV haven’t gone into production yet.

So what makes the Chevrolet Bolt so popular? There is no mystery here - thanks to the $7,500 EV tax credit, the Bolt EV starts at $20,000 and the larger Bolt EUV is not far behind with a $21,300 starting price. While Tesla has been promising a sub-$25,000 electric car for years, Chevrolet has two of those on sale already.

Both Bolt EV and EUV share the same 65 kWh (usable) battery pack coupled with a 200 hp electric motor powering the front wheels. Both cars are quick off the line with the smaller Bolt EV nailing 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 6.5 seconds, while the larger Bolt EUV is half a second behind. Both cars have around 400 km range and both support 55 kW DC charging.

$20,000 electric car from a brand as well known as Chevrolet, with performance on par with some of the quicker EVs out there and with enough room for a small family - what’s there not to like?

Via