I would like to share the great write-up on Chevy Bolt today.
Electric Cars Growing In Popularity In China.
"Charging infrastructure for the electric cars will be the challenge in China, but nothing is out of reach for the existing technology. Investments and government push in "War Against Pollution" will turn the tide. Better electric cars are coming on the streets. Tesla Model III and GM Volt will launch the mass market for EVs. LG Chem is building its Lithium Megafactory to meet to rising demand and Foxconn - manufacturer of iPhones - invests in electric cars in China. Next step in action now is to secure the supply of strategic commodities for this rEvolution - Lithium and REE."
China Puts Billions Into Electric Cars & EV Charging Stations.
International Lithium Corp. Update on Avalonia (Ireland) and Mariana (Argentina) Lithium Projects.
UpdateCar:
Bad news for EV1 conspiracy theorists: GM has unveiled a new, dedicated electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Bolt, which will arrive in two years. The Bolt, which promises 200 miles of range and which will sell for roughly $38,000 before tax credits, could also prove to be a bummer for the upcoming Tesla Model 3 and the BMW i3.
Whizzing past us to the stage, the Bolt EV concept almost had us thinking we’d arrived at the BMW stand, right down to its Tang-orange paint, which could have been lifted from the i3 concept of 2012. The Bolt’s thick upright bumper, thin grille, LED headlamps, and tall proportions echo the Bimmer up front while carrying a smidge of Honda Fit at the back. Under the skin is a trendy mix of aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber, although the R&D budget undoubtedly went to the powertrain, not to mimicking BMW’s hyper-pricey carbon-fiber body shell. Expect the Bolt to lose the full-glass roof, glass hatch, and wraparound rear window in the transition to production. The vented rear fenders and other “active aero” features for maximizing range likely will stay.
The minimalist, two-tone interior features a flat floor, with pedestal-mounted seats to which the center console is attached. There are twin LCD screens and a touch-sensitive dash (the latter is a little surprising considering that the new, 2016 Volt actually brings back physical buttons). And while there is a button to start the car, there’s also an app that can act as the Bolt’s key. It further manages the auto-valet function, in which the car can theoretically drive itself into a garage and be retrieved upon command. In what may be an attempt to combat Uber, the app also, in GM’s words, “allows ride-sharing management,” including reservations, payment, and tracking.
We really hope Chevy keeps the concept’s suspension, which features adjustable ride height and damping. GM wouldn’t discuss battery chemistry or motor outputs, but if it’s as fun and sprightly as the comparison-winning Spark EV, the Bolt should be shocking, jolting, or any number of positive, electrically themed adjectives. For a $10-grand premium over the Spark EV, it had better be. That $30,000 price you’ve seen in initial reports on the car? That number reflects a $7500 federal tax credit that you can only claim every April 15th (and it’s not a rebate).
Still, if GM can deliver an EV by 2017 that reaches the 200-mile mark, it won’t have any competition. The i3 musters only an EPA-estimated 81 miles and costs $43,350. The next Nissan Leaf will supposedly crack 249 miles, but it’s at least a couple of years away. And the Tesla Model 3—also expected to deliver a 200-mile range and cost $40,000—is banking on both the Gigafactory battery plant and Model X production to run perfectly on schedule.
Unlike the Spark EV, which is available in California and Oregon, Chevy is committed to selling the Bolt in all 50 states. By doing so, it could become the only automaker to sell a class-leading plug-in hybrid and a full EV side-by-side. Chevy just needs to hope Elon Musk doesn’t have a wild card hidden up his sleeve."
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