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⚡ This Week’s Big Charge
💡 The Next Wave Of Affordable EVs Starts… Now, Actually
Let’s be honest: it hasn’t felt like a great year for anyone in the climate, clean energy, EV, or charging world. Good news for us has been hard to come by. Yet this past week left me strangely optimistic about the near-term future of EVs in America.
Even with EV tax credits ending, there’s been more encouraging news lately for drivers ready to leave gasoline behind than we’ve seen in quite a while. While many carmakers predicted that, tax credits or no, we’d see this big surge in affordable EV sales at the end of this decade, I think that may be starting now.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest recent developments in affordable EVs—mainly in the United States. market, with a nod to key global trends as well.
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⚡ The Affordable Chevy Bolt Is Back, Baby:
About a decade after it first debuted, Chevrolet’s O.G. affordable electric car is back. The first Chevy Bolt was made between 2016 and 2023 and won accolades for being a capable, compact, everyperson EV—but it wasn’t profitable for General Motors.
The 2027 Chevy Bolt should be. While not a completely new car, it incorporates GM’s latest batteries, electric motors, hardware and software, making it good for 255 miles of range and a compelling $28,995 starting price.
“Now it’s a bona fide road trip vehicle,” its chief engineer told InsideEVs this week. As before, it’s made in America.
Fast-charging in particular is a quantum leap over the old Bolt. Capable of about three times the charging speeds now, it will now go from 10%-80% in a respectable 26 minutes. The last Bolt did this in about an hour.
The Bolt’s compact form factor hasn’t changed. But it’s received many other improvements, including a rear hatch you won’t hit your head on.
🪫 Tesla’s Latest Effort Lands With A Thud
The new Bolt has been received well. But the same can’t be said for Tesla’s big debuts this week: the Model Y Standard and Model 3 Standard.
As I wrote in a piece for The Atlantic running later today, Tesla has long spoken of a new, possibly $25,000 EV. But CEO Elon Musk quashed that idea to focus on robotaxis and autonomy.
The alternative comes in the form of pared-back versions of Tesla’s existing cars at lower prices. But you need to be willing to live with serious compromises.