Right now we have two models that are considered affordable EVs that can be driven on the road. Both of these vehicles have a starting price of less than $40,000 and are built in such a way that they can qualify for the Federal Tax Credit of $7,500. The Chevrolet Bolt made it way to the market at the end of December and the new Tesla Model 3 has only recently been delivered to a few of the employees, but more are on the way to make it the next long-range EV model to make its way to the market.
Here are some ways these two can be compared to each other:
Acceleration
The model that can accelerate to sixty mph the fastest is the Tesla Model 3. There are two battery choices for this car and the more powerful one allows the car to reach this mark in 5.1 seconds while the standard battery pack still allows this feat to be accomplished in 5.6 seconds. As for the Chevy Bolt, the time to reach this same mark is about 6.3 seconds. The Model 3 brings you around 235 horsepower while the Bolt offers 200, but so far Bolt owners have been extremely satisfied with this car.
Range
When it comes to the range, this is the most important aspect of driving for any EV owner. The Model 3 with the lower powered battery offers you 220 miles of driving range while the Chevy Bolt provides 238 miles from a single charge. The range of the Model 3 with the more powerful battery pack can achieve as much as 310 miles on a single charge which is much more than the base model or the Bolt. Unfortunately, the higher powered Model 3 is one that costs nearly twice as much as the base model, which certainly has to be a consideration.
Charging
The standard model of the Tesla Model 3 offers you thirty miles of range per hour when using a 240V outlet. You can also use a Supercharge and add 130 miles of range per thirty minutes. The Chevrolet Bolt takes a full nine hours to fully charge using a 240V outlet or 90 miles in thirty minutes when using a SAE Combo DC fast charge. As you would expect, the more powerful Tesla Model 3 will charge to 170 miles in thirty minutes using a Supercharger or 37 miles per hour with the 240V outlet.
Front vs. Rear-Wheel Drive
The Chevrolet Bolt is being offered with FWD and a permanent magnetic drive motor while the Model 3 is being offered with RWD to start with. There will eventually be a version of the Model 3 that will be offered with AWD and you can expect the Bolt to do the same. There isn’t much difference here unless you’re looking for one of these two drive methods and have a preference for the driving you love to do on a daily basis.
Interior
As you would expect, considering the family for the Model 3, the interior is tech heavy and unique in this car. You will enjoy a 15.4-inch touchscreen that’s mounted in a stalk and is the centerpiece of this car that controls all of your comfort and entertainment items. Roughly the same size as the Chevrolet Cruze, the Bolt EV will feel more like a car you’ve been in before. This car brings you a more traditional look and feel along with a 10.2-inch touchscreen and the buttons and items you need to feel comfortable inside the car and immediately understand what this car has to offer you when it comes to the interior.
Costs
The base model of the Tesla Model 3 is priced at $36,200 before incentives. This price can quickly go up with items that you can add including the long-range battery for $9,000, 19-inch wheels for $1,500, different paint colors that cost $1,000, a Premium Upgrades package with heated seats, open pore wood and other items that show up at $5,000 making it fairly easy to reach $59,500 at the fully loaded version. The Chevrolet Bolt does start at a slightly higher price of $37,495, but this car tops out at $41,780, keeping it closer to the price you’d expect to pay just to add a few additional items or move up a trim.
Warranties
The Tesla Model 3 gives you an eight-year/100,000-120,000 mile warranty on the battery along with a four-year/50,000 mile limited vehicle warranty. The Chevrolet Bolt shows up with the same eight-year/100,000 mile battery warrant, a five-year/60,000 miles powertrain and drivetrain warrant and a bumper-to-bumper limited warranty of three-years/36,000 miles. Bring in the fact that you can buy a Chevrolet Bolt at a dealership right now and the Tesla Model 3 will be faced with more than a year of pre-orders before they become offered to the public, and the Bolt should be the EV you choose
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