The diminutive Italian electric city car has an EPA range of 149 miles.

  • BombOmOm@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    has an EPA range of 149 miles

    We have those already, they don’t sell well.

    starts at $32,500

    Jesus, we are talking just shy of Model 3 prices here. Yeah, this thing isn’t going to sell.

    built in Italy

    It doesn’t even qualify for full subsidies. This thing is practically DOA.

    • Stillhart@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Cheap relative to the US EV market. Not cheap on an absolute scale, but it’s trending in the right direction at least.

      Too bad maintenance costs on an Italian car are probably going to cancel some of that out.

      • CmdrShepard@lemmy.one
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        11 months ago

        This car is made by the same company that makes the Dodge Charger and Jeep Compass. I don’t think there is anything Italian about it.

        • NAK@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I think what you mean to say is there is nothing American about the Dodge Charger or Jeep Compass.

          Stellantis is designing and engineering those cars now. Well, the charger maybe not… That’s on a platform from 2004. The compass is on an FCA platform shared by the Tonale, Hornet, and Rampage

          • Hyperreality@kbin.social
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            11 months ago

            Most car brands are just that.

            Eg. Magna Steyr currently manufactures plenty of cars which are then sold under the BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, or Fisker brand. Previously they’ve made cars for Chrysler, Jeep, Saab, VW, and others. Not just manufactured either, IRC they’ve designed entire cars or many of the component parts.

            Similar thing for plenty of large companies. They don’t actually make things anymore. They just brand and market them. Maybe they design them, but that’s often not the case either.

        • Stillhart@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          I’m not optimisitc that they’ll keep the price low. Guess it could happen…

          • spongebue@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Yeah, the main reason the Bolt is as cheap as it is now is because of its way outdated charge speed. No way they keep that in the next version, and I’m sure they’ll bump the price up $5-10K while they’re at it.

            • Pretzilla@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              It still charges at 50kW which is around 200mph, so it’s not bad at all for occasional longer road trips.

              Home charging is always great at 11.4kW which gets from empty to full in under 5 hours.

              Superb value for the cost.

              • Stillhart@lemm.ee
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                11 months ago

                No argument there. I like the Bolt as is it is. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to leave well enough alone when they could get more marketing points AND more profits at the same time.

              • spongebue@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                It can charge at up to 55kW, but that’s under perfect conditions (largely weather-related) with a very low battery. As that battery charges, it will definitely go down. Also, DCFC is generally used on road trips, which means freeway driving, which means 4 miles per kWH is unlikely.

                If I were to drive about 500 miles away (Denver to Lincoln, NE) right now, starting with a full battery and ending at 10%, I’d need to stop 4 times for a total of 3 hours of charging according to A Better Route Planner.

                That said, for stuff around town and even trips to Colorado Springs and beyond it’s an amazing car. You don’t even need to use its full 48A level 2 speeds for it to be awesome, I got by on 1/3 that (16A at 240V) and could still get about 100 miles worth of charge overnight. I’d love to take it on a trip to visit family in Minnesota in summer time too.

          • spongebue@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I mean… The Bolt is pretty well-loved among its owners . I certainly enjoy mine. But no way does it have the prestige like those brands have to borrow for something else. Hell, most people still get the Bolt mixed up with the Volt hybrid that came before it.

    • Mr_Blott@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      This is entirely its reputation in Europe too; probably why they’re trying to shift them elsewhere

      There are far better value options here than the 500

      They do come in nice colours though

    • SkepticalButOpenMinded@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      Range anxiety is a major reason why EVs are so heavy and expensive. But 149 miles (240 km) is more than enough for many people’s daily commute, especially if they’re able to charge every day.

      EVs with this range should exist. They should just be cheaper. There’s just not enough competition at the low end right now.

    • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Eh, for a commuter car in the city, the range is fine… just not for the price. When you can get a bigger car with longer range for cheaper, I think I know my choice. And if it were luxurious, that would be a different matter; but this isn’t.

      • reddig33@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        No. No it’s not. I had the previous 500e. After you turn the air conditioner on, you lose range. After you add a passenger, you lose range. It barely got through a day’s driving. It’s a half-hearted effort and it will flop.