G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com

Tesla Officially in Trouble, Business Insider Says!

To quote Business Insider final comments on Tesla and the Chevy Bolt:

"Clearly, Tesla would be in less trouble if the Chevy Bolt were a bad car. But it isn't. Teslas have always blown me away. The Bolt blew me away for different reasons. I just hope Tesla is prepared to take this into account." 

Matthew is a Business Insider senior correspondent who covers transportation and as a fan of Tesla was excited to check out a Chevy BOLT as comparison to the Tesla. On a recent trip to california he took time to visit the closet Chevrolet Dealer to his hotel and this is what he found.

He states that to borrow Barkley's line, "Tesla is in trouble." You have one of the world's biggest auto companies that is known for killing the electric auto stepping off the sidelines and actually committing considerable resources to building a long range EV where it can afford to lose money on it long term till the market changes. Tesla has 400,000 plus pre-orders, but is burning through cash by the billions and while the launch of the Tesla 3 is near and Tesla still has Sexy much like Apple to an iPhone. Tesla does not have the depth of customer auto experience to pull from and as the author points out, Tesla balance sheet is precarious as it is based on raising funds on a growth story. The author goes onto say that no one will cross shop a Tesla S or X with the Chevy BOLT. They will due to limited options cross shop the Tesla 3 to the Bolt.

To pull some interesting statements from the story, the author had the following to say:

"I found it more fun to drive than both the Tesla Model S and the Model X, but not the original Roadster, a much smaller vehicle."

"The Bolt is plenty fast for most people."

"GM isn't going to overwhelm Tesla with Bolt sales. I actually think the Model 3 will greatly outsell the Bolt once Tesla's car arrives. However, it's also possible that if the Model 3 is delayed or is slow to ramp up, Chevy will be preparing a mid-cycle refresh of the Bolt before Model 3 sales start to achieve some major momentum. In other words, GM will always be ahead, and the company — barring another massive financial meltdown — will never stop putting the Bolt up against the Model 3."

BI covered the BOLT in follow stories with the next one being more of an official review that starts off with covering the auto with the following statement: "A platform, not business as usual!" 

From ride-hailing to ride-sharing, self driving Chevy has delivered an auto for the future that gives GM options on how they build and expand their EV lineup. BI took delivery of their white Premier BOLT just before the blizzard that hit NY. Clearly a compact-crossover-hatchback look, design is what the magazine employees felt it was and is. Surprising the BI reviewers was the amount of cargo the auto can hold and how well it handled 4 people and grocery getting. BI states that GM has told them the next addition to the BOLT lineup will be a larger auto that can accommodate 5 or more people. An exceptionally well executed minimalist design that comes with an interior that feels more premium in comparison to auto's this size in the past from GM that felt clearly parts bin cheap. The review goes on to talk about how setting the front seat for a 6'4" tall driver and getting in the back with room ahead of the knees for the same size person is a nice welcome addition to such a compact auto. Heated steering wheel was welcomed by all. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto kept everyone happily connected to their phone while driving.

The final statement to quote from the review is as follows:

"We were impressed with the Bolt, as a car, as an electric car, and as a mobility concept. In many ways, it is GM's post-bankruptcy masterpiece, a real feather in the cap of CEO Mary Barra and her executive team, who took what the company had achieved with its ill-fated EV-1 back in the 1990s and turned it up to 11. 

I also flat-out loved driving it. I blasted in and out of New York City twice, rocketed around the streets of Gotham, darting through traffic, and cruised along the highways of New Jersey. I also enjoyed just driving it around the quiet streets of the suburb where I live.

The steering is quick and responsive, and the handling is sharp enough to provide the confidence you need when surfing that sweet EV torque.

The single-pedal mode is also very cool — I dug not using the brakes at all for extended excursions in my town. After a bit of practice, you get into a kind of Zen state with it. 

Not a single person asked me about the car, and that can be chalked up to the ho-hum design. But I didn't care. I was lovin' it. Plain and simple, the Bolt is fun."

Here is where we have overlap between story #2 and Story #3 which covers the 7 Killer Features:

1. Dual Screens- 10.2" touch screen infotainment center & an 8" drivers console display which are totally customizable.
2. Auto's wireless charging console.
3. BOLT App allowing you to be connected to your auto at all times.
4. Five cameras: front, rear, side mirrors and their 360 camera.
5. 9hr full charge time from a 240 volt charger. 25 miles per hour, faster with Level 3 DC charging.
6. Lane Keep assist feature.
7. Modern Seat design allowing for maximum space inside.

Over all these writeups show that GM has delivered a superior auto to the Prius, Leaf, 500e, etc. The future will be bright for the BOLT as GM move the platform forward.

BI Story #1

BI Story #2

BI Story #3

Saw one the other day in Baltimore. Nice looking lil runner. . altho I would take the Volt over it. The Volt is actually just as cool looking as some Sports cars

10 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Saw one the other day in Baltimore. Nice looking lil runner. . altho I would take the Volt over it. The Volt is actually just as cool looking as some Sports cars

Have you tried sitting in a Volt? I cannot fit in a Volt but I can in a Bolt.

I think the Model 3 looks will attract buyers as much as its branding and powertrain.  It is definitely more polarizing than the ho-hum Bolt..  With its higher pricing and more premium looks I see it picking up would-be 3-series, C-Class etc buyers more than a Bolt will.

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, frogger said:

I think the Model 3 looks will attract buyers as much as its branding and powertrain.  It is definitely more polarizing than the ho-hum Bolt..  With its higher pricing and more premium looks I see it picking up would-be 3-series, C-Class etc buyers more than a Bolt will.

 

 

 

Looks like a smashed in the face IS250

4 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Looks like a smashed in the face IS250

And the Bolt looks like a Japanese KEI car!

Im sure import hatin', domestic lovin' folk like you really goes for those...

1 hour ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Saw one the other day in Baltimore. Nice looking lil runner. . altho I would take the Volt over it. The Volt is actually just as cool looking as some Sports cars

Oh. ..wait a sec!

Im getting mix signals here!

I really don't feel like the two compete that much. The 3 will also end up being priced much higher than the Bolt once options are added in... so I expect the Bolt to sell fairly well. 

I'd rather a 3 than a Bolt for appearence sake, but I wouldn't turn down a Bolt if it was the only one of the two that was accessible to me financially. 

That's going to be the biggest thing with these cars (and the next gen Leaf), is financial accessibility. 

Id rock the Volt had the Volt been 100% electric over the Bolt but Id still have a hard time choosing it over the Model 3.

I like the Bolt, its just that it looks too much like the aforementioned KEI car above and that may be too much Japanese styling for my shallow exterior perceptions.

The Model 3 looks like a 2004-2009 Mazda 3, but I like that Japanese flavour.

53 minutes ago, frogger said:

I think the Model 3 looks will attract buyers as much as its branding and powertrain.  It is definitely more polarizing than the ho-hum Bolt..  With its higher pricing and more premium looks I see it picking up would-be 3-series, C-Class etc buyers more than a Bolt will.

I have to disagree, the Tesla will have it's hard core fans much like Apple. But more premium look? Come on, that is totally opinion. I find the Tesla 3 to be ugly, not inspirational at all. Too low to the ground.

I have been in and driven a Bolt and they are premium interior and excellent CUV style for a compact.

Just now, dfelt said:

I have to disagree, the Tesla will have it's hard core fans much like Apple. But more premium look? Come on, that is totally opinion. I find the Tesla 3 to be ugly, not inspirational at all. Too low to the ground.

I have been in and driven a Bolt and they are premium interior and excellent CUV style for a compact.

Apple fans have made Apple one of the most cash rich companies in the world. Tesla could do far worse than having that situation.

12 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I really don't feel like the two compete that much. The 3 will also end up being priced much higher than the Bolt once options are added in... so I expect the Bolt to sell fairly well. 

I'd rather a 3 than a Bolt for appearence sake, but I wouldn't turn down a Bolt if it was the only one of the two that was accessible to me financially. 

That's going to be the biggest thing with these cars (and the next gen Leaf), is financial accessibility. 

As I posted in the other thread;

A writer on Electrek web site created his own web site to gather info about what potential owners of the Tesla 3 want for options.

https://electrek.co/2017/03/21/tesla-model-3-options-autopilot-battery-upgrade/

Interesting is that pretty much everyone wants the full self driving autopilot at $8,000 and a battery upgrade which the first option is $5,000.

This makes every Tesla 3 not a $35,000 auto but a $48,000 auto to start.

The web site the writer created: https://model3tracker.info/

His results todate:

Well, my Model 3 would start at the 40 000 mark. 

I DONT WANT that self driving shyte!

1 minute ago, oldshurst442 said:

Well, my Model 3 would start at the 40 000 mark. 

I DONT WANT that self driving shyte!

Haha, I'm the opposite.  I really want adaptive cruise at minimum on my next vehicle. 

5 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Haha, I'm the opposite.  I really want adaptive cruise at minimum on my next vehicle. 

So far, we dont make a good couple Drew (had I been a switch hitter that is...)

We dont share the same shopping habits and now this..

I guess we was never meant to be.

 

Edited March 21, 20178 yr by oldshurst442

 ^^^  

I have no use for the self driving adaptive cruise mode either, but a larger battery, AWD HUD for sure.

Two Items I wish I could get on the BOLT. Bigger battery and AWD. 3rd nice to have, HUD.

6 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

So far, we dont make a good couple Drew (had I been a switch hitter that is...)

We dont share the same shopping habits and now this..

I guess we was never meant to be.

 

hahah! switch hitters have twice the fun!

Don't get me wrong, I looooove driving.  What I hate is traffic. When it's bumper to bumper city driving or even heavy volume high speed highway driving, the fun is already gone because of the other drivers who are generally idiots.  I to a lot of long distance driving, often weekly.  My last trip was Pittsburgh - DC - NYC.  Tomorrow I'm doing Pittsburgh - DC and back on Friday.  

When I drive for fun, I want total control.  When I drive for "work", I much rather the car do the work.

6 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

hahah! switch hitters have twice the fun!

Don't get me wrong, I looooove driving.  What I hate is traffic. When it's bumper to bumper city driving or even heavy volume high speed highway driving, the fun is already gone because of the other drivers who are generally idiots.  I to a lot of long distance driving, often weekly.  My last trip was Pittsburgh - DC - NYC.  Tomorrow I'm doing Pittsburgh - DC and back on Friday.  

When I drive for fun, I want total control.  When I drive for "work", I much rather the car do the work.

Good point, I use the bus to get into and out of the city for work. So I do not commute in my own auto any longer. I get what you mean, in heavy traffic, might as well have the auto do it all and allow you to do something else.

2 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Good point, I use the bus to get into and out of the city for work. So I do not commute in my own auto any longer. I get what you mean, in heavy traffic, might as well have the auto do it all and allow you to do something else.

When I actually go to my office in downtown these days, I am 90% bus travel.  I hate bumper to bumper traffic.

14 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

hahah! switch hitters have twice the fun!

Don't get me wrong, I looooove driving.  What I hate is traffic. When it's bumper to bumper city driving or even heavy volume high speed highway driving, the fun is already gone because of the other drivers who are generally idiots.  I to a lot of long distance driving, often weekly.  My last trip was Pittsburgh - DC - NYC.  Tomorrow I'm doing Pittsburgh - DC and back on Friday.  

When I drive for fun, I want total control.  When I drive for "work", I much rather the car do the work.

Why limit myself just to one sex is what I say.

I knew at a very young age though that I am a boy that loves the female body. Sometimes the female brain confuses the crap outta me, but I take a look at those booby and hippy curves and I tune out hers and my brain and I see and feel joy!

Sadly though, boys just dont have that same effect on me. Boys are great to talk to, about sports and cars. Play sports together...I like that. But boys lack the booby and hippy curves I crave. And although the female brain confuses me sometimes, I find comfort in it. Weird how that works...how we are all wired the same way, but different! (In a good way is what I wanna mean it by)

A SHOUT OUT TO THE DUDE THAT YOU BANNED TRYING TO MEDDLE WITH YOUR PRIVATE SEX LIFE!!! ITS YOUR BUSINESS DREW! PHOQUE HIM!!!

Traffic.

Yes traffic.

Id probably like that self driving feature too, but not yet. Not now when the tech aint exactly....um, 100% self driving and idiot proof..

Edited March 21, 20178 yr by oldshurst442

36 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Apple fans have made Apple one of the most cash rich companies in the world. Tesla could do far worse than having that situation.

Pretty much.. for all of the issues that BOTH have.. packaging and proper marketing have done well for both. 

@oldshurst442 Agree on all the love for the Female Form and the confusion their brain causes.

What, you do not want your self driving auto to go through a white Semi truck trailer?

 

4 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

And the Bolt looks like a Japanese KEI car!

Im sure import hatin', domestic lovin' folk like you really goes for those...

Oh. ..wait a sec!

Im getting mix signals here!

And I have nothing against the practicallity of a Kei car.. as long as I don't have to drive one. The Bolt is what it is.. and GM hit a homer when it comes down to the intended mission. Come to think of it,.. the VOLT.. without all the Republican negativity surrounding it as the Gen 1 had due to timing and the Racists view of everything associated  with the positive things Pres Obama did , is a raging success as well. Altho I still think that the Volt name should have simply been CRUZE PHEV, which would have been beneficiary on so many levels to that name. 

 

25 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@oldshurst442 Agree on all the love for the Female Form and the confusion their brain causes.

What, you do not want your self driving auto to go through a white Semi truck trailer?

 

Nope. If Im gonna die driving through a white Semi truck trailer, its because I WANNA DRIVE through a white Semi truck trailer on my own decision making while IM THE ONE DOING THE ACTUAL DRIVING!!!

It looks like its waaaay more fun screaming "BANZAI!" with a crazed look on my face speeding towards the white Semi truck trailer on purpose rather than screaming "OH SHYTE!" at the last second with a scared shytless look on my face!

Edited March 21, 20178 yr by oldshurst442

@Cmicasa the Great & @oldshurst442

Guys, please back on topic or just not post.

Thank you,

JD Powers just posted their official report on Tesla. They say the current owners of Tesla S & X see themselves as early adopters and quality issues are just part of being an early adopter. With this said they still love their Tesla!

Yet with the Tesla 3, the Mass market will be far less forgiving and this is a concern for JD Powers as they point out that even Musk has gotten in on testing the X as it started to come off the assembly line due to bugs.

http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/tesla-beyond-hype

2 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Why limit myself just to one sex is what I say.

I knew at a very young age though that I am a boy that loves the female body. Sometimes the female brain confuses the crap outta me, but I take a look at those booby and hippy curves and I tune out hers and my brain and I see and feel joy!

Sadly though, boys just dont have that same effect on me. Boys are great to talk to, about sports and cars. Play sports together...I like that. But boys lack the booby and hippy curves I crave. And although the female brain confuses me sometimes, I find comfort in it. Weird how that works...how we are all wired the same way, but different! (In a good way is what I wanna mean it by)

A SHOUT OUT TO THE DUDE THAT YOU BANNED TRYING TO MEDDLE WITH YOUR PRIVATE SEX LIFE!!! ITS YOUR BUSINESS DREW! PHOQUE HIM!!!

Traffic.

Yes traffic.

Id probably like that self driving feature too, but not yet. Not now when the tech aint exactly....um, 100% self driving and idiot proof..

I'll let you in on a secret:  The head games are no different dating guys.  As I've actually been off the market for over 9 years and my partner and I are very much in tune with each other emotionally, it doesn't bother me much. 

I'm less interested in self driving as I am in active cruise control and automatic emergency braking.  I've used active cruise control in a Benz CLS400 driving from NJ up the coast to Boston and having it in that traffic was fantastic.  That combined with the automatic emergency braking saved my butt in at least one specific instance during a freak storm on that trip.