GM plans affordable 200-mile electric car in 2 years

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GM plans to start selling a $30,000 battery powered family car called the Chevrolet Bolt sometime in 2017.

The Bolt is designed to compete with electric offerings from Tesla Motors Inc. and Nissan Motor Co.

GM conceived the $35,000 Volt as a mass-market car that could handle most trips on electric power, but had the generator to end worries that people would run out of juice. A concept version of the first-generation Volt was unveiled eight years ago at a time when GM didn't know for certain that the battery system would work.

The company also make the all-electric Chevy Spark that can go 82 miles on a charge. Electric cars are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

The Chevy Bolt, carrying a more capable battery manufactured by South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd., will be aimed squarely at Tesla’s forthcoming Model 3, a $35,000 electric car also slated to debut in 2017.  The Bolt will be capable of driving four times farther than a Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid on a single charge.

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The prototype was displayed today. I'm sure the final model will look a little different by the time it's for sale in 2017. As small as the car is, because there's little space taken up by the engine & transmission, it's surprisingly spacious inside... one of the few cars around that actually has some leg room for the rear passengers. It seems almost all rear seats have leg room designed for children or real tiny people these days. However, I wish car designers would go back to making seats without center consoles. If we need a cup, change, or odds & ends holder it can placed anywhere else or we can add it later, rather than it taking up seat & comfort space. That center space would be great for another passenger, a laptop, purse, or pack rather than placing them on a possibly dirty or damp floor.

A center console in the rear seats?  What's the point of that stupid idea? Apparently these car designers never got laid in a back seat or had to take a nap in their car.

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I'll bet if you added heat & AC for our climate up here, because they suck up a lot of energy, that would dramatically effect the mileage. Fossil fuel cars utilize waste heat from the coolant/radiator fluid diverted to a heater core to heat the passenger area. I'm sure the electric motors generate some heat, but would it be able to be enough to divert to the passengers to keep them warm at 20F to below zero?

Some might be able to live without AC with a breeze blowing in the windows, but I don't think anybody will drive in a car long below 30F. Maybe they should install a small propane heater in these for cold climates.