GM may have missed the bus by not developing the EV1 further, but we must applaud it for making EVs more affordable. The Bolt EV debuted five years after the Model S when there were only a handful of EVs to choose from. Initially, the Bolt retailed for as much as $40,000, but thanks to economies of scale, it became more affordable later on in life. A 2023 Bolt costs $26,500-$29,700 before you subtract President Biden’s sweet $7,500 tax credit.
Despite an unfortunate fiery reputation, which wasn’t GM’s fault, the Bolt continues to sell well. After the fire issue, we thought GM would retire the Bolt EV for good, but the company plans on building a next-gen model using the Ultium platform launched with its larger SUV options.
Nissan also deserves to be praised for the Leaf, launched a full year before the Tesla Model S. It’s not as desirable, but it was good at being a car. It just happened to be electric. Unfortunately, it was beaten within an inch of its life with an ugly stick, and the range was poor. Still, the Leaf cost roughly $30,000 in 2012, and the Model S cost twice as much.
