Nope. I don’t think so.
Though Tesla’s (Model 3) sales acceleration has perfectly tracked falling Chevy Bolt sales, the devil seems to be in the details.
- Backorders
Both Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt have back-orders worth years of production.
Tesla has more than 400,000 buyers dropping their deposits, while Chevy Bolt sales is easily averaging 2000+ cars every month. In Canada, Chevy Bolt production is already booked for a year.
This clearly shows that there is enough demand for both cars and it’s the supply that is choking sales.
- Reviews
There is a reason why Consumer Reports’ stands out. They have earned the respect due to their dedication to the craft. Consumer Reports’ has a recommended rating for both Tesla Model 3 as well as Chevy Bolt.
- Price
GM did pull a fast one on Tesla by pricing the Bolt at $35,000. Once you add the federal tax credit, price drops below $30K.
With Tesla still working on its way to get Model 3 price to $35,000, Chevy Bolt does have the price advantage.Time is money and GM has it now.
- Losses
No one really knows how much money GM is losing or making from Chevy Bolt. Tesla is clearly losing money on Model 3, but that’s the plan anyway; to ramp up and bring the cost down.
This a loss that’s worth every penny, because customers have shown their willingness to move away from gasoline cars. And their message is loud and clear. The time for internal combustion engines is over.
The Takeaway
It will be a big mistake if we keep comparing Model 3 and Chevy Bolt sales numbers every month, because this is a fight that has all the ingredients to upend the industry.
Make no mistake – automakers are watching. They must be running scared due to heavy backlog of orders.
Do you remember the last time when two automakers had customers booking years of production? I don’t.
This fight will force other auto makers to move. The more they delay participating, the EV window will keep closing, one car – one customer at a time.
