General Motors has stated they wish to take on Tesla with several new electric vehicle offerings which are designed to entice consumers not only on efficiency but on price. GM is banking more on the latter considering Tesla has cars that cater almost exclusively to the elite class with the least priced Model S costing no less than $70,000.
Leading the charge will be the new Chevrolet Bolt which its makers claim to be good enough for a 200 miles range while costing just $30,000. However, while that makes for a hefty discount compared to the Model S, the new Bolt will have a range that's somewhat less than the 240 miles that the corresponding Tesla can make on a single charge.
GM has stated they have an even cheaper Chevy Spark in the making as well, which will come with a sticker price which could be lower than $20,000 post incentives but with a range of only around 80 miles, mentioned CDA News.
The vehicle is the same Spark as we know of but with a complete "all-electric" makeover that will take about 7 hours for a full recharge. The Spark also boasts of a top speed of 90 miles and can hit 60 miles from standstill in 7.9 seconds.
The coming launch of the Bolt and the Spark also marks a change in GM's car making philosophy. While it had relied initially at launching hybrid vehicles exemplified by the once popular Chevrolet Volt, the thrust this time round is clearly in making all-electric vehicles. No wonder Tesla and the success story that the Model S has come to be identified as has spurred global car manufacturers to explore EV alternatives seriously, stated Reuters.
What is also apparent is that GM, unlike Tesla, is keen on producing cars for the mass market even though if it means compromising on range initially.