Only a small percentage of the general population can say that a Tesla vehicle rests in their garage at night - there is no doubt that, at this point, the Model S and Model X are still rare items to find on the road. Despite this, the company itself has made a name for itself in the auto world, moreover with its upcoming Model 3. But then there is Chevrolet, which has introduced its own take on the electric car, in the form of its Chevy Bolt EV - a car that has already been dubbed the Tesla Killer by several publications.
As Business Insider notes, the Chevy Bolt is not a bad choice to make at all and it definitely has a few things over the Model 3. For one thing, Chevrolet promises about 238 miles on a single full charge, while Tesla has only committed to 215 miles. However, it can be argued that an extra two dozen miles is not the most notable difference. And the difference in price - about US$2,500 - can be countered by the fact that Chevrolet will roll out its electric car about a year ahead of Tesla.
Perhaps it is for these two reasons why several reports have dubbed the Chevy Bolt as the Tesla Killer. On paper, the numbers are quite alarming. But the publication goes on to argue correctly that there is so much more to consider when purchasing an electric car. And as Electrek describes it, purchasing the US$35,000 Model 3 is like buying a car that would sell for the same amount of money even if it wasn't electric. On the other hand, the Chevy would sell for just US$20,000 if it did not have the electric feature.
The Chevy Bolt can boast of an acceleration time that goes from 0 to 60 in under 7 seconds, but Tesla's Model 3 beats this by about 1 second. And the latter unit arguably has better tech under the hood. While both units offer blind spot warning and automatic braking, Tesla buyers can opt to shell out some more money and install the company's Autopilot convenience features. The price for this is estimated to cost about US$3000, making the prices of both units almost the same.
One major drawback for the Model 3, as stated above, is the time difference in hitting the market. The affordable electric sedan is not expected to start deliveries until the end of 2017 or the early months of 2018. However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also has a poor reputation when it comes to hitting the company's set deadlines, so the truth is that it might take even longer.
Likely because of this, Steve Majoros, General Motors' Marketing Director for Chevrolet has stated on record that he believes some individuals who made reservations for the Tesla Model 3 will switch teams and purchase the Chevy Bolt instead. It is certainly possible, as over 400,000 people have been listed as buyers. Either way, both units are sure to be successful in the market.
