NAIAS 2016: Chevrolet shows off 2017 Bolt EV at Detroit Auto Show

The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV marks the turning point in affordable and accessible electrified vehicle solutions.- Photo By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Detroit, MI - GM"s CEO Mary Barra drove on stage at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on the company's latest electric vehicle the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The production mode Bolt EV was already shown off at CES 2016, but more information on the vehicle's capabilities were released today.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is powered by a 60-kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack featuring 288 cells and can travel from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than seven seconds, General Motors Co. said Monday at the Detroit auto show. The Bolt EV has 200 horsepower and has a top speed of 91 miles per hour. The Bolt EV’s battery system weighs 960 pounds. The Bolt EV's battery will take nine hours to charge on regular power sockets but can be charged up to 80 per cent in an hour using a DC Fast Charging System.

What is remarkable about the Bolt EV is that it took one year, since the car's concept reveal at last years auto show, to create a production version. The Bolt EV, which also highlights various technology and assistive driving technologies, It will go into production later this year at GM’s Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township.

“Being the leader in range and affordability means nothing if the car isn’t going to excite you each time you get behind the wheel,” Josh Tavel, Chevrolet Bolt EV chief engineer, said in a statement. “That’s why the team was tasked with delivering a propulsion system that would also make the Bolt EV an electric vehicle that owners would love to drive.”