While the Indian car market gears up for the Tata Bolt hatchback later this month, Chevrolet has unveiled its new Bolt EV at the Detroit Motor show 2015.
According to Chevrolet, it could offer a significant breakthrough in EV tech by offering a 322km range for the price of USD 30,000. Although this vehicle is still in concept form, Chevrolet is confident of seeing this vehicle into series production in future.
According to GM CEO, Mary Barra, the Bolt EV is a crossover EV for the real world and it builds on the lessons learned from the Chevrolet Spark EV and Volt plug-in hybrid vehicles. The Chevrolet Bolt concept is a four-seat vehicle with minimal front and rear overhangs to maximize interior space. It is built from lightweight materials that include aluminum, magnesium, carbon fibre and woven mesh all of which help to reduce kerb weight. It also comes with active aero devices such as vented rear fenders.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV concept features operating modes configured for different driving styles, such as daily commuting or weekend cruising. The modes adjust accelerator pedal mapping, vehicle ride height and suspension tuning. The Bolt EV concept is also designed to support DC fast charging – although there's no word on how long charging takes.
The concept features a sizeable 10.0in touchscreen on the dashboard. It can be paired with a smartphone with the concept Bolt EV Connect app, which is designed to allow a smartphone to perform as the key fob, allow drivers to offer and accept ride sharing and park the car autonomously.
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
Dipan Sur
Lenny D'sa
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Ameya Dandekar
