Skip to main content

Chevy talks the Bolt, its nemesis Tesla, and why cheap gas isn’t bad for EVs

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt is a five-door hatchback the size of a Nissan Versa, but don’t let its size fool you — this little EV is a very big deal.

Set to go on sale at the end of this year, the Bolt will cost just $30,000 or so after incentives are factored in, and for the money, you’ll get a high-tech greenmobile with 200 miles of range. This type of performance-to-dollar ratio was unheard of in the EV world until recently, and with the hotly-anticipated Tesla Model 3 being unveiled on March 31, the Bolt is under a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed.

At the 2016 New York Auto Show, we fought through the crowd to snag a few minutes with Chevrolet’s Darin Gesse, the Product Marketing Manager for the Bolt EV and Volt plug-in hybrid. Here’s what he had to say.

Digital Trends: Can you describe the ideal customer for the Volt and the Bolt EV?

Darin Gesse: The Volt, with the extended range capability, brings a customer that wants to get into electric driving, but there’s a situation where they drive long distances on the weekend or once a month and a pure electric won’t work for them. It could also be from a confidence factor — they’re not willing to take both feet and step in the water; they want to put one foot in and one foot out. This is the best way to go about doing that, to experience electric driving and still have that extended range backup.

The Bolt EV is really going to be for that customer that wants to go full-fledged, both feet in. Their driving patterns and lifestyle allow for a 200-mile EV range to fit in, or they may have a second or third vehicle for extra trips.

Let’s talk Tesla. The Bolt’s main rival, the Model 3, will be unveiled on March 31. We don’t know everything about that car yet, but in your mind, what sets the Bolt apart?

2017-Chevrolet-Bolt-EV-interview_0017
Image used with permission by copyright holder

I’d say the main differentiation right now is we’re going to be ahead of them to market by at least a year if not longer, depending on how they deliver on their promises. We certainly are offering a vehicle that comes with a dealership network that’s nationwide, so for any maintenance items or accessories — or if you need to bring it in for service — it’s local, it’s within your community, and it’s with people you know. These dealers have been entrenched in communities for years and they’re a mainstay. People trust them and they’re part of the environment they live in.

The Bolt’s electric motor, battery pack, and infotainment system will all come from LG. That’s relatively unprecedented, can you talk us through why Chevy decided to go that route?

For the battery at least, it was a simple decision. They’ve been our partners on the Volt as well as the Spark EV, and they’ve been producing battery cells for that. It’s been bulletproof and we have nothing but the highest confidence in what they do as far as chemistry. In fact, I’m happy to say that out of 85,000 Volt owners, not a single battery has been replaced due to a capacity loss. That’s a testament to the quality that LG delivers for us, and they’ve been able to expand upon that with power electronic components. Certainly it made sense for us to go with them, to partner with them. They are delivering on all the goods.

The Bolt concept was revealed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, and it’s going on sale at the end of this year. That’s a quick turnaround. Was the collaboration with LG instrumental in getting the car out sooner?

Being able to drive with one pedal is going to be a cool feature everyone’s going to love.

Certainly when you’re working with a partner that you’ve worked with for several years, the relationships are there. [LG] is a known entity, a known quality, so we know how we can stress each other and get things done a lot faster.

In terms of the big picture, was the Volt developed with the idea that an all-electric Bolt would follow up down the road? Was a high-range pure EV a plan from the outset?

Yes, in theory and in concept we knew that an all-electric vehicle was the direction. But when the Volt launched originally in late 2010, there weren’t really a lot of charging stations, so it was one of those ‘chicken and egg’ things. We had to offer a solution that would allow those charge stations to support it, but that also in an environment without charge stations you could still operate the vehicle.

There’s a lot of talk about low gas prices lately, is that a big concern for your team?

We’re keeping an eye on it. Obviously, low gas prices are helping us in other ways in the portfolio, so we’re really proud that at Chevrolet there’s a full line of diverse products that, regardless of the environment, we can satisfy customer needs. But we’ve been doing research about how gas prices have affected the sales of vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and other EVs, and really we haven’t seen much of a correlation. It seems like if a customer decides to buy an EV, they do it regardless of gas prices. And it could be the fact that they just don’t want to be involved in that gas price story; they don’t want to be concerned about it, but there are other elements. It’s an inconvenience to pull off to the side of the road and have to fuel up the vehicle. If it’s raining or cold outside, it’s an inconvenience to get out of the comfort of your vehicle just to pump gas. So there are other values and benefits to not stopping at a gas station.

Do you have projected sales numbers for the Bolt yet?

We don’t give out sales projections, but what we’ll tell you is that we’ve capacitized the plants to meet expected demand. We did purposely put the Bolt EV in a plant that also produces two other products — the Chevrolet Sonic and the Buick Verano. The purpose of that is to have some flexibility. If one product is doing really well and the other product not so much, we can still keep the plant running at a constant pace. Same thing with the Chevrolet Volt, we put that in [the Detroit-Hamtramck plant] which also produces the Chevy Malibu and Impala, allowing us to have some flexibility and run the plant based on how demand fluctuates.

The Bolt has a lot of cool features like the Rear Camera Mirror, low-energy Bluetooth system, and obviously the powertrain. What do you think buyers will be excited about the most?

The one technology that we’re expanding upon is called one pedal driving — the ability to put the vehicle into low gear. When you let your foot off the throttle, it immediately starts to decelerate. Then we have a feature that we’ve trademarked called Regen On Demand, which is a paddle on the steering wheel to increase that regenerative [braking] effect. With the Bolt EV, we’ve taken it to the next step of actually being able to stop the vehicle without touching the brake pedal. It will actually hold the vehicle in place even at a grade of five percent. Riding in taxi cabs here in New York City, I can imagine that whole gas-to-brake process can be annoying after a while. Being able to drive with one pedal is going to be a cool feature and everyone’s going to love that one.

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Waymo lays groundwork for robotaxi revolution
A Waymo car production line.

In recent years, Waymo has been edging toward its long-held goal of revolutionizing urban transportation by deploying a fully autonomous, scalable, and sustainable ride-hailing service. 

The Alphabet-owned company has just taken another step in that direction with the opening of a new vehicle factory in Metro Phoenix, Arizona, in partnership with automaker Magna.

Read more
Ram resurrects 1500 Express trim as an affordable option
ram 1500 express return affordable 2026

Ram is revving up excitement with the return of an old favorite—the 2026 Ram 1500 Express. Reintroduced as a more affordable option in the full-size truck lineup, the Express trim brings back a combination of rugged style, respectable performance, and most importantly, a price tag that won’t send buyers running for the hills.

Starting at $41,105 for the base Quad Cab configuration (and just under $45,000 for the Crew Cab), the new Express offers a budget-friendly alternative in a market where full-size trucks can easily cross the $60,000 mark.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more