Chevy Bolt will have 238 miles of range, EPA says

Chevy Bolt will have 238 miles of range, EPA says , Chevrolet

The upcoming all-electric Chevy Bolt, perhaps the most important car GM has ever released, will sport an electric range of 238 miles according to estimates by the EPA. Chevy had previously said only that the car would have a range in excess of 200 miles.

This will make the car the first truly affordable electric vehicle with a range over 200 miles, a range Chevy believes is essential to widespread adoption of electric vehicles. The company has said the vehicle will have a base price of less than $37,500, meaning the actual price will be less than $30,000 after a US federal tax credit of $7,500 (receiving the full credit requires making enough money to pay $7,500 in tax, however). Several states offer additional tax credits, as well. The actual price of the Bolt will be announced later this fall.

The 238 mile range is an estimate of the number of miles the vehicle should be able to travel in combined city and highway driving from a full charge. An extended 70 mph drive down the highway will drain the battery in a significantly shorter distance, while city-only driving will likely enable a longer range.

The Tesla Model S is the only other electric car to have a total range of more than 200 miles. The entry-level model has a 60 kWh battery (the same size as the Bolt) with an EPA estimated range of 210 miles. That car starts at $66,000 before tax credits. Tesla offers a number of other battery capacities as well, including a new 100 kWh offering that the EPA says can exceed 300 miles of range, though it starts at $134,500 — almost four times that of the base Bolt, which will only come with one battery option.

Tesla’s Model 3, announced earlier this year, is the Bolt’s only direct competitor so far, though Tesla isn’t expected to begin deliveries until late next year. The Bolt, which we drove in a preproduction form earlier this year and quite liked, is expected to hit dealers before the end of 2016.