Until the Chevy Bolt came along, buying an EV meant making a sacrifice. Either you picked something like the Nissan Leaf that couldn't really drive very far on a charge or you got a Tesla that was terrific but very expensive. Thus far, EV's have only been purchased by enthusiasts. The Chevy Bolt is meant to change all that, though it's going to be an uphill climb to convince the average buyer to even consider an electric car.

Members of Chevy's electric car marketing teams (responsible for both the plug-in hybrid Volt and the all-electric Bolt) told me that they were continually surprised that so many customers were clueless about how electric cars worked. I heard stories of customers in focus groups saying they'd love to buy a Chevrolet Volt if only they could put gas in and keep driving when it ran out of electricity (they can) or wondering whether they can safely charge the battery before it's been run down to zero (it can be topped off at any time, like a smartphone).

To help answer these questions, Chevy has launched a new website to help folks overcome their nervousness about electric cars. The site covers everything from how charging works to the price of electricity to where charging stations are located. Quick videos from the engineers who worked on the Bolt, as well as outsiders from companies like ChargePoint, answer questions in plain English.

It's a clever move. Chevrolet's dealerships have been selling internal combustion engines for decades and the switch to electric will be a challenging one. When I recently went to a dealer and asked questions about Chevy's plug-in hybrid Volt, which has been available since 2011, our salesperson was largely clueless about what made the car so special. I've heard similar stories from other buyers, and Chevrolet is aware of the problem.

It's working hard to revamp its dealer-training programs, and will require dealerships to be certified before they can sell and service the Bolt — a similar program exists for the Volt, which has been available for half a decade now. Among other things, dealerships will need to install a DC fast-charging station and purchase some new equipment needed to service the car. It isn't required yet, but as more of GM's lineup goes electric, the writing will be on the wall soon.

Tesla has known from the beginning that selling electric cars will require more imparting of knowledge than traditional sales tactics. That's why its stores don't look anything like a traditional dealership. Its employees are there as much to inform the public how electric cars work as they are to sell the things. Go into a Tesla store and it's common to see kids climbing all over the only car in the store, while sales people explain to mom and dad how the charger works. For Elon Musk, it's all about the long game. Folks might not be ready to buy an electric car today, but the company is happy to plant the seed and wait — especially since Tesla's Model 3, at the moment the only real competitor to the Bolt, won't begin deliveries until the end of next year.