Electric cars are finally becoming more affordable.Scratch that; not just electric cars in general, but good quality electric cars.
Pioneering this exciting endeavor, is Chevrolet’s new Bolt EV. With its dirt cheap monthly lease, and a combination of capability, quality, and low-pricing that’s really proven to have pissed off the competition. After you’ve picked your jaw up and off the floor — because of the Bolt EV’s ridiculously low base price — and finished watching Chevrolet brandish the new Bolt like a stick to goad the swarming bee hive that is currently the electric vehicle market; the reality of the situation will start to make sense.
Affordable EVs are here (mainly just the Bolt) and they’re finally on par with gas-powered models in terms of performance, efficiency, and price. In other words, the future is now.
A Price So Good, it Hurts
Let me put it to you this way, the average price of a new car bought in 2016 was roughly $31,000. The new Bolt EV already comes in cheaper by one-thousand clams, starting at $30,000 large. Plus, it’s actually a good freaking car. Many people have said it’s so good, that it actually rivals a Tesla model. Tesla – the company that’s been the king of the electric world, until now. Chevy obviously has every intention of dethroning that title.
Keep in mind though, when you lease the new Bolt you don’t get the federal tax incentive. Meaning that $7,500 is thrown back onto the base price. Pfft, whatever. With how cheap the monthly lease payment is, you won’t even miss that extra dough.
Bite-Sized Monthly Payments When Leased
GM Financial recently launched a leasing program for the Bolt EV, which is the main reason why a lot of manufacturers are “salty” about the situation. Thanks to this program, you can get behind the wheel of a baby-faced Bolt EV for just $309 a month. $309 freakin’ dollars, man. That’s cheap as all hell, AND it comes with zero dollars down.
But, why put zero dollars down when you can put down 20% of the price (like you should with any vehicle down payment) and chop that monthly price from bite-size chunks to minced? That’ll really pour the lemon juice onto your “Tesla rules, bro” buddy’s fresh lacerations.
Cheap on the Lease, But Not on the Streets
Setting my bombed poetry attempt aside, this point holds true: the new Bolt really is a stand-up electric vehicle. It’s the whole package: an insanely cheap price for exceptional overall quality. Providing you with a vehicle that produces a stupid amount of value-for-your-dollar, and vein-bulging level of fury for the competition.
It has a 238-mile EPA-estimated driving range, which is an all-electric range that was otherwise unheard of for an EV at this price point. Plus, it has a high capacity electric motor that delivers 200 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque. If you thought that was impressive, its 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) time of less than seven seconds will induce heavier breathing than the kind suffered by an overweight person attempting to climb the stairs. After all, that time doesn’t just match other gas-powered vehicles, it also beats many of them. All hail our new deity, the electric-vehicle torque — which returns 266 lb.-ft. when you stomp on the Bolt’s gas pedal.
It’s the first electric vehicle that truly has it all, and the competition is going to need to scramble to even compete with the all-electric Bolt in this price range. For now, this hatchback should reign supreme…
