Chevy Bolt to be built! It’s official.

General Motors has announced official plans to build the Chevy Bolt (hope the name changes…). Although the production start date has not been announced, rumors seem to point to October 2016. General Motors is also sticking to the stated range of 200+ miles and a price (after the federal tax credit) of $30K. Public announcement here.

General Motors also posted this photo, showing a cool, glass roof:

Also mentioned in the announcement is that the “…Bolt EV concept is also designed to support DC fast charging.” I’m a little concerned that it is stated that way rather than “The Bolt will support DC fast charging.” Nonetheless, this shows that GM is going to get behind the Bolt, which could really be disruptive. Although similar in form factor with the BMW i3, the Bolt would be much less expensive, would lack some of the quirkiness of the i3’s appearance and challenge the Nissan Leaf, just as it is poised to top the Volt in U.S. sales from inception. If the announcement is followed up with a teaser ad campaign, the Bolt could delay Leaf purchases.

The announcement has me reevaluating my auto acquisition plans. My first Volt’s lease is scheduled to end in August of this year. I was planning on moving into another plug-in vehicle and was happy to see the newly redesigned Volt should be available then. My wife’s lease ends about five months later. I feel that at least one of our vehicles has to have a range extender, but we should be ready to make the jump to one of our vehicles being fully electric.

Do I lease my next Volt for a year to a year and a half? With the plethora of EVs coming to market, am I even sure my next plug-in vehicle will be a Chevy? I’ve been immensely satisfied with our Volts, but I’ve also driven some pretty sweet competitors (although usually, MUCH higher priced competitors.

Finally, I also believe that Chevrolet dealers need to start preparing for this now. Dealerships should start planning a plug-in vehicle section of their lot. Chargers should be abundant and ready to use. Perhaps Solar awnings or vertical wind turbines could be installed to reduce the dealerships’ electric costs while also promoting a “seriously green” image. The lounge areas that are equipped with televisions often plan slide shows or General Motors commercials. It is probably time to start showing EV videos, mixed in with the others, to start building interest in the next stage of automobile evolution. I’d recommend starting with the full 15 minute presentation of the Volt & Bolt, from the Detroit Auto Show:

What would you recommend Chevy dealers do to get ready for the new Volt & Bolt? Please leave comments!