Chevrolet’s Bolt Electric auto Enters 200-Mile Testing

The Bolt is being tested as part of General Motors’ Powered by Innovation initiative. The vehicle will do 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds and the on-board gasoline engine – the range extender – will continue to use regular fuel.

Aside from confirming that the Bolt is now in testing after passing the “so-called alpha engineering prototype” stage, General Motors didn’t say much else – it emphasized again that it will boast an electric range of over 200 miles, and will cost about $30,000.

Employing technology from the 2016 Volt propulsion system, the Malibu Hybrid offers an estimated combined fuel economy rating of 47 mpg – unsurpassed in its segment.

Chevrolet plans to release the new Chevy Bolt model in 2017, a model which will be able to run for up to 200 miles per charge. The automaker’s engineers added that after the vehicle was tested to its limit throughout the Milford Proving Grounds of GM that results have been very positive. The company will invest approximately $245 million in tooling and equipment next year, in order to keep the project on schedule.

The goal of the Bolt EV, said Pam Fletcher, is to make “electric cars approachable to the all, not just to the elite”.

At its earliest, the Chevrolet Bolt might start production in November this year. Fifty miles on battery alone might not sound like a huge amount, but Chevrolet discovered that more than four-fifths of journeys made in the current vehicle were all-electric, and that’s with its lower, 38 miles range.