The Model 3 ($35,000 Model) competes with top Audi, BMW, and Similar Luxury Cars. The Chevy Bolt ($36,000 Model) Competes with Small Economic Cars. Which would you prefer?

Tesla's Veiled Swipe At The Chevy Bolt

When I was going through the Q4 2017 Tesla shareholder letter for a recent article, what might seem like a minor comment caught my attention. Tesla wrote, "We incorporated all the learnings from the development and production of Roadster, Model S, and Model X to create the world's first mass market electric vehicle that is priced on par with its gasoline-powered equivalents - even without incentives."

 From article, (When I was going through the Q4 2017 Tesla shareholder letter for a recent article, what might seem like a minor comment caught my attention. Tesla wrote, “We incorporated all the learnings from the development and production of Roadster, Model S, and Model X to create the world’s first mass market electric vehicle that is priced on par with its gasoline-powered equivalents – even without incentives.”

When we talk about this new generation of electric cars, we’re generally happy to highlight that we can now get relatively affordable electric cars that have relatively long driving range on a single charge. Depending on how you evaluate this, the Renault Zoe might have been the first such car (in Europe). If your requirement is over 200 miles of real-world range and/or you are focused on the North American market, the first car to offer this combo was the Chevy Bolt EV.

Yet, basically in reference to this key crossover point, Tesla claims that the Model 3 is “the world’s first mass market electric vehicle that is priced on par with its gasoline-powered equivalents.”

Tesla is implying one or two things in that line. It’s implying that the Chevy Bolt isn’t priced on par with its gasoline-powered equivalents and/or it’s implying that the Bolt isn’t a “mass market” electric vehicle. If Elon and crew gave it much thought — which I think they must have — it’s probably a two-point knock.

The Tesla Model 3 competes with the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and similar vehicles. That’s the class it’s in. However, the Model 3 beats them on most key points — acceleration, efficiency, autonomous-driving tech, cargo space, and more. Some BMW fans, Audi fans, or other conventional car fans may still prefer these other models over the Model 3, but there’s no denying these vehicles compete with each other.

As many commenters have pointed out (no matter what side of the EV transition they’re on), the Chevy Bolt EV doesn’t compete with premium-class cars in many regards. It’s basically comparable to a Chevy Sonic. The hatchback, FWD version of that car starts at $16,170 MSRP, whereas the Chevy Bolt EV (which is not listed under Chevrolet’s “Cars” category on its website, just under the “Electric” category) starts at $36,495 MSRP.) 

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