With 6,000+ unsold, new Chevy Bolt EV is shaping up to bomb like first Volt hybrid

The Chevrolet Bolt EV, the first mass-market all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles, was shown at the New York International Auto Show in 2015.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

General Motors once claimed the Chevy Bolt -- the first "affordable" all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles -- would pose a significant threat to upstart Tesla.

But as Tesla ramps up production of its Model 3 sedan -- holding $1,000 deposits from more than 400,000 eager buyers -- GM has shuttered the plant that makes the Bolt. 

According to Reuters, there are now more than 6,000 unsold Bolts on hand in the United States -- or a 111-day supply (70 days is considered ideal).

"One dealer is reported to have more than 200 Bolts on its lot," the Gas2 blog reported last week.

The Achilles heel in the new EV is GM's refusal to build a dedicated nationwide network of fast electric chargers like the one owners of the Tesla Model S and Model X use for free when they are on road trips.

An electric road trip to Montreal

Free Tesla Superchargers at the Colonie Center, a mall near Albany, N.Y., with a Whole Foods Market. I can recommend the delicious Asparagus Meyer Lemon Soup.

Urban vehicle

The Bolt is being marketed as an urban or suburban vehicle that you charge overnight at home.

The EV would be ideal for seniors, whose driving is limited to grocery shopping, visits to the doctor and volunteering, but it isn't being marketed to that forgotten segment of the population.

The first-generation Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that uses gasoline, also proved to be unpopular during its production run.

The 2011 Volt went on sale in the United States in mid-December 2010, and in the next six years, GM delivered about 113,500 -- that's less than 20,000 on average each year. 

The first-generation Volt operates as a pure electric vehicle for up to 38 miles, but then an internal-combustion engine powers an electric generator to extend the car's range.

The second-generation Volt's all-electric range was extended to 53 miles, but the sedan also needs gasoline beyond that.

Now, GM may drop the Volt in the 2020 model year and replace it with a plug-in hybrid crossover.

The automaker wants to build more high-profit SUVs and pickup trucks, which guzzle gas and say to hell with the environment.

Tesla Model 3 in blue.

Bolt appraisal

I drove a production model of the Bolt through the streets of the nation's capital during the Washington Auto Show in late January.

As a Tesla Model S owner, I was underwhelmed, and the new EV from GM didn't have anywhere near the refinement buyers can expect in the Model 3, which has an MSRP of $35,000 and will probably cost about $50,000 with options.

Click on the following link:

First drive of Chevy Bolt EV

A condensed version appears on the Gas2 blog.

In a shocking omission, no all-electric car makes Top 10 list at Consumer Reports

Honda will show an all-electric version of its Clarity fuel-cell sedan at the New York International Auto Show in April. 

The Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier, with an MSRP of $41,780 and a range of 238 miles on a full charge, is being sold in seven states, including New Jersey, according to Green Car Reports.

 -- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The annual Auto Issue from Consumer Reports crowns the 10 best new cars of 2017, but every single one of them uses gasoline.

That's really bad news for the environment, and for readers who are looking for a zero-emissions vehicle to reduce their carbon footprint.

Climate change

In fact, the nation's leading consumer publication published a letter from a 20-plus-year subscriber in the previous issue:

"I am writing ... about something troubling that I just realized," said Charles Dunn of Fairfield, Conn.

"Nowhere in the past 10 years have I read anything in CR about climate change and the effects that the products reviewed ..., namely automobiles, among others, have on the environment.

"This bothers me even more because while mileage ratings have gone up in some classes of vehicles, they are still very poor for SUVs and pickups, which a majority of consumer are buying.

"If CR cares about our global climate future, it's imperative that CR hold manufacturers accountable for improving mileage standards and offering more hybrid-electric vehicles."

CR claims 'active role'

The editor defended the magazine's record of "holding automakers accountable for fuel economy over the past decade."

She also said testers have identified "discrepancies" between the official fuel-economy rating on window stickers and real-world experiences; and added that CR "is a champion for increased fuel-economy standards."

But nowhere in the response to Dunn's letter or in the annual Auto Issue does CR mention the role EVs can play in slowing climate change or cutting the 58,000 premature deaths from auto emissions annually in the United States.

The "10 Top Picks" article in the April 2017 issue declares:

"The best new cars of 2017 are outstanding all-around performers -- shown to be reliable, safe and satisfying."

Only one of the 10 is a gas-electric hybrid, the Toyota Prius, which CR says gets 52 mpg.

There's no mention of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, which has a range of 238 miles on a full charge; or other all-electric cars, including the BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen e-Golf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric.

Among luxury SUVS, Consumer Reports crowns the Audi Q7 as one of the top 10, even though it struggles to get 20 mpg, instead of the zero-emissions Tesla Model X. 

See: In 2018, EV finally makes Top 10 list

Tesla says the zero-emissions Model X, with seating for up to 7, is the safest SUV you can buy.

When writers get a free ride, can they be objective about sad state of auto industry?

On an all-expenses-paid trip to the nation's capital to cover The Washington Auto Show, I couldn't have been happier with my lavish seafood dinner at Cedar Restaurant, including this appetizer of Pan Roasted Diver Scallops prepared without butter or cream -- or what the kitchen called "kosher."

The auto writer on my left, a freelancer for The New York Times, tucked into Texas Wild Boar Loin Chops with sweet potato duchesse, stewed cherries, seasonal vegetables and bacon vinaigrette.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- I started covering Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other auto importers nearly 30 years ago as a business reporter for a respected daily newspaper in northern New Jersey.

The paper had strict rules against taking anything of value from news sources -- you were not even allowed to accept a free cup of coffee.

But covering cars presented special challenges, because automakers routinely took writers on junkets to unveil new models, and wined and dined them at lunches in the private dining rooms of expensive restaurants in Manhattan.

Now that's Italian

I recall reading about a trip to Sicily for writers from Car & Driver and other publications to drive cars shod with a new Pirelli tire, and how one of them described a beautiful robe in the gift bag they found in their hotel room.

Media preview days at the dealer-sponsored auto show in New York were -- and are -- a heady mix of press conferences and parties, some with restricted invitation lists.

And when my paper decided to publish monthly road tests of new models, I was able to borrow cars for a weekend or week at no charge -- delivered to my home or office, and then picked up.

I could even arrange to drive a so-called press car on vacations in California, and two years after I retired, I had a blast in Italy driving an Alfa Romeo turbo-diesel sedan from Milan to Venice and back.

The question I've been asking since I retired is how do auto writers remain objective?

Most of the major foreign and domestic automakers are climate-change deniers who spend millions of dollars in lobbying and legal fees fighting higher fuel-mileage standards.

Plus, they continue to drag their feet on marketing zero-emissions vehicles while ramping up production of bigger gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks.

None of this fazes the vast majority of auto writers, who still judge gasoline cars by how fast they accelerate from zero to 60 mph, and get off on loud mufflers.

I rode in a special Amtrak rail car with about 30 other auto writers from Newark to the nation's capital on the morning of Jan. 25 and returned the following night. Describing some of the writers as "journalists" is a stretch. IMPA is the New York-based International Motor Press Association, and WAPA is the Washington Automotive Press Association.

We had beautiful weather, with temperatures in the 50s and plenty of sunshine. On Jan. 26, the highlight of my trip was driving the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt for a few miles through the streets, but the new all-electric car was just about the only good news for the environment presented at the auto show.

Fast train to D.C.

After I bought a 2015 Tesla Model S and started an EV blog called Shocking Car News, I rejoined the International Motor Press Association, and started attending monthly lunches, paid for by automakers; a media preview day at the auto show in New York, and ride-and-drive events.

Last week, as a member of IMPA, I was invited to attend media preview days at The Washington Auto Show, and rode a special Amtrak rail car to the nation's capital along with about 30 other auto writers.

The auto dealers who sponsor the show paid for everything -- transportation, a night in a hotel near the convention center, two parties, a lavish dinner with wine; and even two $25 gift cards, one of them for rides with Lyft.

But for an EV owner and green-car enthusiast like me, the only good news at the show was my being able to drive a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt, the first long-range all-electric car from GM.

The convention center floor was filled with far too many gas-guzzling pickup trucks and hulking SUVs as manufacturers rush new models of these high-profit vehicles to market to exploit low fuel prices. 

As if the streets and highways of northern New Jersey, where I live, aren't already clogged with far too many over-sized Nissan Armadas (14 mpg city) and Land Rover Range Rovers (17 mpg city).

Just looking at one of these monstrosities reminds me of what Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the unveiling of Model 3 last March:

Auto emissions are killing 53,000 people a year.

Dizzying schedule

During the media dinner at the award-winning Cedar Restaurant, a writer for a men's lifestyle blog, who sat on my right, ordered the Ribeye Steak with roasted purple potatoes and onions, red-wine reduction and seasonal vegetables.

He cut into the large steak, ate only a few pieces and wearily put down his fork and knife, noting he's gained 30 pounds going on media trips.

As I enjoyed plump sea scallops, seared red snapper and a few spoonfuls of passion-fruit sorbet, he described a dizzying schedule of six upcoming junkets, including a flight to Hawaii, to see new and slightly revised car models.

He recalled one trip to Italy, where he and other writers were given rides around a racetrack in a Ferrari supercar.

He said he was floored when he climbed into the car and the driver turned out to be none other than four-time Formula 1 World Drivers Champion Sebastian Vettel, who was paid $50 million plus bonuses last year.

See earlier coverage of the auto show:

Green awards go to gasoline cars

First drive in Chevrolet Bolt EV

The food served at the Global Automakers Reception included a terrific version of Shrimp & Grits, above.

Global Automakers, the lobbying group for foreign car makers in the nation's capital, laid out a terrific spread for members of the media and other guests, but the noise level drove me to eat and run to the next party, below.

Guests entering the Automotive Rhythms Cadillac Reception at an art gallery, where auto writers received a gift bag.

Courvoisier VSOP Cognac and other premium liquor flowed freely at the Cadillac reception.

A Cadillac sedan was parked in the art gallery, above and below.

The interior of the Cadillac presented a confusing array of switches, dials, steering-wheel and touch-screen controls, as if the American automaker is vying with German performance sedans to be crowned most difficult to operate.

Earlier in the day, a bus took me and other auto writers directly from Union Station to lunch and a Capitol Hill panel discussion on self-driving cars. One of the participant was Rep. Debbie Dingell, second from right, a Democrat from the 12th Congressional District of Michigan.

The next morning at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the so-called Newsmaker Breakfast for the media, sponsored by IMPA and WAPA, was missing eggs, yogurt and fruit. 

Yogurt and snack bars showed up later in the press room.

The architecture in the nation's capital is a fascinating mixture of classic and modern buildings, above and below.

The Walter E. Washington Convention Center is the venue for the 2017 Washington Auto Show, which closes on Sunday.

Chevrolet Bolt EV costs half the price of a Tesla, but isn't close to being half the car

ELECTRIC AND ELECTRIFIED: Chevrolet now offers the all-electric Bolt EV and the Volt, a plug-in that uses gasoline, but can travel on its battery and electric motors for up to 53 miles, at rear. They are on display at The Washington Auto Show, which runs through Feb. 5.

NO FRUNK: Unlike Tesla's Model S, Model X and the upcoming Model 3, you won't find a trunk in front or frunk under the hood of the front-wheel-drive BOLT EV.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has arrived in showrooms, which is great news for the environment.

But despite what you may have read elsewhere, the humble, all-electric hatchback doesn't offer anything close to the refinement or speed of a Tesla.

On a short drive in the nation's capital on Thursday, I heard a lot more mechanical noise from the Bolt's electric motor and transmission than I'm used to in my 2015 Tesla Model S 60.

And a Chevrolet representative in the front seat couldn't explain why the Bolt didn't have Tesla's automatic regenerative braking -- which charges the battery and slows the car when you lift off the accelerator pedal.

Only after I checked the Bolt website did I learn you have to pull a steering-wheel paddle or shift the automatic transmission into "Low" for regenerative braking, which will bring the car to a full stop at a light or sign -- just like in the all-electric BMW i3.

The Bolt I drove and my Tesla are both zero-emission cars and both have a 60 kWh Lithium-ion battery.

But when I punched the Chevy's accelerator pedal from a standing start, the car was noisy, as I've said, and it didn't leap off the line as does my far heavier Model S.

I also noticed some torque steer or pulling on the steering wheel from the front-wheel-drive Bolt.

Of course, the Bolt has an MSRP that is about half of a rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model S 60 ($37,495 v. $71,000), but with the "affordable" Chevy, you get only what you pay for. 

And a smaller Tesla, the upcoming Model 3, with an MSRP of $35,000 before incentives, looks like it will be a far better value than the Bolt EV.

Right now, the Bolt EV is on sale in California and Oregon. Some Chevy dealers in New Jersey and New York are taking orders this month, with delivery scheduled for March.

EL CHEAPO: The Bolt EV's glove box, above, and interior materials scream "cheap" and "just another econobox."

UNATTACHED: The cover over a hidden compartment in the hatch area isn't attached to the car. It might double as a snowboard for a small child.

ROOM FOR LONG LEGS: The 5-door Bolt EV has a high roof line, and with the front passenger seat back as far as it would go, I had plenty of legroom while awaiting my turn to drive.

Bolt v. Model 3

The Bolt comes in two trim levels starting at $36,620 (LT) and $41,780 (Premier) before incentives, and both have a range of 238 miles on a full charge, according to the website.

Neither comes standard with fast-charging capability or such safety features as forward collision alert or low-speed automatic braking.

They are standard on Teslas as well as on Toyotas and other cars that cost less than the Bolt.

Tesla says its 5-passenger Model 3 sedan, with a starting price of $35,000, will begin production in "mid-2017; have a range of 215 miles on a full charge, and do zero to 60 mph in under 6 seconds.

Model 3 also is designed to achieve a 5-star safety rating, the highest possible and the same as in the Model S and Model X.

In addition, Model 3 will be equipped with autonomous-driving features found in more expensive Teslas, including Autopilot, Autosteer and Autopark; and 1,000 miles of free charging at Tesla's proprietary nationwide network of Superchargers.

If you take Bolt on a road trip, Chevy won't provide any free charging.

First drive of the widely anticipated Chevy Bolt EV is set for Washington Auto Show

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV looks like so many other 5-door hatchbacks, but one writer has described it as a crossover between a car and a small SUV.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I'm heading for the Washington Auto Show in the nation's capital on Wednesday, when auto writers will get a chance to drive the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a vehicle that is said to be the first affordable all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles on a full charge.

But as the owner of a 2015 Tesla Model S, I scoff at reports from those who have already tested the Bolt and who claim it will be a "Tesla fighter" or give "Tesla a run for the money."

Uninspired styling means the Bolt likely will fade into the background among so many other 5-door hatchbacks.

If you take the Bolt on a road trip, Chevrolet won't be providing any free charging, in contrast to Tesla, which has built a nationwide network of free, fast chargers for owners.

And the styling of the low-slung Tesla Model S 5-door hatchback remains fresh -- unique, really -- nearly four years after it went on sale.

So will the distinctive styling of Tesla's more-affordable Model 3, which is supposed to go into production this year.

I guarantee you no one will mistake the Bolt for a Model 3, and no Chevrolet can possible exude the quality and sophistication of a Tesla.