When Tesla CEO Elon Musk finally pull the proverbial covers off the mass market Tesla model 3, Chevrolet executives probably breathed a sigh of relief, the fight for supremacy in the electric vehicle market was on. Both the Tesla model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt EV were pretty much designed to go head-to-head for this new and emerging market of long-range electric vehicles. There are other competitors coming but for now these two heavyweights get to slug it out. Tesla said they hoped pre-orders would equal $7.5 billion in worldwide sales, they fell way short with only $180 million in worldwide pre-orders.
Let's compare the two vehicles and see if we can come up with which one of them is most likely to be the winner in the end. The first comparison has to be price and initially the Tesla 3 was supposed to cost $35,000 but Elon Musk now admits with basic options it will cost around $42,000 whereas the Chevrolet Bolt will cost $37,500 before the $7500 federal tax credit so on price alone the Bolt is cheaper vehicle. Another reason the Bolt will probably win on price is because it is equipped with more standard features than the Model 3 at the bottom end of the market.
The next thing most people would probably want to compare long-range electric vehicles on would be the range of the vehicle on a standard charge but both manufacturers are being a little cagey about the official range of each vehicle. Chevrolet will only say that the Bolt has a range of more than 200 miles per charge, Tesla say the Model 3 has a 215 mile range as a starting point. There are rumors circulating that Chevrolet has done more testing and is preparing to officially revise the Bolt's range to 240 miles on a standard charge.
Revheads always want to know how fast every car accelerates, they measure how fast it can get to 60 mph if you plant your foot flat. The Chevy Bolt EV came in with a time just under 7 seconds, the Model 3 did it in a whisker under 6 seconds, which is a time comparable with most cars all around the same size like the purely petrol powered Ford Focus.
Just what technology is being installed as standard in each of these two vehicles, actually little is known about what is actually being installed in the Model 3, Tesla seemed to be taking a leaf out of Apple's book and not giving much away for now. The two things we do know about the Model 3 is that it has a 15 inch floating display in the center of the dash and it also has Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system, called autopilot, which will be installed but you have to pay to activate it.
On the other hand you have the Chevrolet Bolt which is loaded with high-end technology, it has a 10.2 inch infotainment screen, rear mirror camera which provides an 80° digital view of the area behind the car, it has exterior cameras which you can view on the mirror as well, and Chevrolet has come up with something new, they are calling it low-energy Bluetooth, it only has a range of about 100 feet but once paired with the drivers find the car's lights will flash as soon as the phone is within range. And it doesn't end there, the Bolt also has built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi. Chevrolet have made a app they are calling myChevrolet mobile app, which allows car owners to set their cars climate control and other tech features remotely. GM has stated that all of the above will be stock standard on the Chevy Bolt EV.
Both cars are passed the testing and protype stage, so the long range electric car is now a reality. Both manufacturers say if you want one of the first 100,000 of them it would be a good idea to get your order in soon.