Greg Gardner

Detroit Free Press

LAS VEGAS — Chevrolet's Bolt electric car will be able to travel more than 200 miles on a full charge and with an efficient driver, General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said today at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Barra was one of several keynote speakers at this annual trade show, where thousands of companies showcase their latest technology.

The Bolt, which debuted at last year's North American International Auto Show, will go into production late this year at GM's Orion assembly plant. Official pricing has not been set, but Chevrolet and GM officials have said repeatedly that the price will be about $30,000 after federal and state tax credits for all-electric vehicles.

Chevy�s Bolt EV designed with Lyft in mind

“It was less than a year ago that we revealed the Bolt EV concept and promised to deliver a long-range electric vehicle attainable by the masses,” Barra said. “The Bolt is capable of using the latest mobile app technology to enable car sharing and advanced GPS routing.”

Earlier this week General Motors announced it is investing $500 million in ride-sharing provider Lyft. Neither Barra nor other GM executives would say Bolt will be available through Lyft after it is introduced, but there are features of the car that are designed to make it adaptable for shared use.

Through use of GM's OnStar RemoteLink app and a Bluetooth technology, drivers can use their smartphones to unlock and start the Bolt and transfer data from their phones to the Bolt's navigation system and monitor the charge status. That's a feature that was designed with the potential of car-sharing in mind, according to Steve Majoros, marketing manager for Chevrolet cars and crossovers.

All-electric Chevy Bolt shows agility, creative interior

While Barra asserted that the Bolt's range is more than 200 miles, owners likely will experience better or slightly worse, depending on time of day, topography, weather and the owner’s driving habits.

Owners who want the convenience of recharging at home can purchase an option through which Robert Bosch will install a 240-volt charging station. The Bolt will take about nine hours to fully charge from a depleted state, said Majoros.

GM credits LG with creating much of the Chevy Bolt

“We were given a blank canvas — a rare opportunity with a unique platform to recast design of an electric vehicle for customers across the spectrum,” said Stuart Norris, Bolt design director. “The team answered the challenge with a progressive design distinguished by dramatic graphics and exceptional passenger space.”

A flat battery pack, supplied by South Korea-based LG Group, is mounted beneath the interior floor. A 102.4-inch wheelbase and wide track give the car a solid stance and the look of a small crossover.

The interior offers a panoramic view from upright, SUV-like seating positions. The rear-window glass extends all the way to the license plate and integrates LED taillamps on the liftgate.

The Bolt can accelerate from 0 to 60 in just under seven seconds, slightly better than about eight seconds for the Volt plug-in extended range hybrid.

Another distinctive feature is a "one-pedal" driving mode that enables a driver to brake by lifting his or her foot from the accelerator. But the brake pedal is needed for a quick hard stop.

Narrow-back seats open up a surprising amount of legroom in the rear. The driver and front-passenger seats also incorporate side air bag modules.

Bolt has 16.9 cubic feet of rear cargo space, slightly more than Honda Fit (16.6 cu. ft.) and BMW i3 (15.1 cu. ft.).

Contact Greg Gardner: 313-222-8762 or ggardner@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregGardner12