Competition is good, and for awhile, the Chevrolet Bolt wasn’t doing much on its own to be very competitive with the Tesla Model 3 which had it just barely beaten on range. But now the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt gets a range boost of 21 miles, up to 259 miles total, finally putting it ahead of the base Tesla.
When the Chevrolet Bolt was introduced, it offered a maximum EPA estimated range of 238 miles on a full charge. The Standard Range Plus base Model 3 has a range of 240 miles for a little over the same price as the Bolt. But GM claims it’s futzed with the chemicals (to use a technical term) in the Bolt’s battery and found a way to juice up to 259 miles now, and good for them.
That’s pretty much it. That’s the news. The 2020 model also gets two new colors, oasis blue and another you have to pay more for, cayenne orange metallic, as well as an upgraded backup camera, according to The Verge.
Other than that, the Bolt goes just a bit further now, with actually quite an impressive range considering it’s a few years old now and there’s still not a ton of competition at this price point.
The Bolt still starts at $37,495 before any incentives or credits (the base Model 3 starts at $38,990 before anything is factored in), and it also no longer is eligible for the full federal tax credit since GM has just sold too many dang electrified vehicles. A half credit of $3,750 is still available for GM products until October 1st, when it will then get cut in half again to $1,875 until it’s completely phased out by April of 2020, should no pending legislation change that.
This is also a promising upgrade for the upcoming Bolt-based electric Chevy crossover thing, which will hopefully sell a lot better than the Bolt.