Not unlike the Tesla Model 3, the Chevy Bolt EV had a slow production and delivery ramp-up in 2017, but it did finish the year strong by increasing deliveries every month leading to another new record in December.

Before launching its new electric car, GM said that they were aiming for about 30,000 vehicles per year.

After delivering 3,227 units last month, the Chevy Bolt EV ended its first full year of production with 23,297 units.

On an annual basis, it’s not there yet, but the automaker has beaten sales records every month for the past 9 months now with its first built from the ground up all-electric vehicle.

If they can sustain that, Bolt sales are very promising for 2018. Here’s the ramp up over the last 13 months:

Electrek’s Take

We expect that Bolt EV sales were helped in December by the federal tax EV scare after the GOP first introduced an amendment to remove the $7,500 incentive from the tax code before removing the amendment on the final version of the bill. Conversely however, misinformation about EVs capabilities in winter could have offset the gains. We’ll see if that’s the case when Jan and Feb numbers are released but things are looking good in the US.

While the Bolt EV is doing well in the US, the situation is more precarious in Europe.

The Bolt EV is sold under Opel in Europe as the Ampera E, and has seen its price increase by $5,500, which Opel blamed on GM.

Some European markets, especially Norway, have expressed a lot of interest for the vehicle. But GM has been limiting the supply to Opel since it sold the company to the PSA Group, which is now requesting a refund from GM after reportedly discovering the full extent of its CO2 emissions challenges.

But in the US, and especially in California, dealers had more than decent inventories with the best prices. We have also heard great deals in other markets recently, like leases for less than $200 per month in Massachusetts. You can always check with your local dealers for inventory and see if you can find a deal.

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