Plug-in electric vehicles are breaking sales records for every month of 2017 so far - and now one of the top-sellers will be available in nationwide showrooms.
General Motors announced on Tuesday, September 6, that its Michigan-built Bolt EV is now available at dealerships across the U.S.
Sales of the Bolt - described as "the first affordable long-range electric car" with a single-charge driving range of 238 miles - launched in December 2016. Dealer availability initially stood at 2 states, growing to 8 states by April.
As availability ramped up, so did sales. GM says it sold 11,670 units through August 2017, including 2,107 in August.
The increases parallel the U.S. growth in plug-in electric vehicle sales, according to reports compiled by Inside EVs.
While electric vehicles are less than 1 percent of overall US vehicle sales, sales numbers are growing by an estimated 40 percent per year, according to industry reports.
That's impacting Michigan as manufacturers take steps to increase their presence in the EV market.
Ford, for example, is looking at $4.5 billion in electrified vehicle investment, which will touch 13 models - including the iconic Mustang.
GM invested $160 million to retool its Orion Assembly Plant in Lake Orion, north of Pontiac, to build the Bolt EV. Today, about 1,150 people work in the plant, which also produces the Sonic.
"Any automaker that doesn't leave room or maneuver to changeover ... to all-electric is doing so at his or her peril," said Foster Finley, an analyst at AlixPartners.
"(The industry) will continue to see more and more demand for electric and hybrid vehicles."
Top-sellers in the plug-in electric field through August, according to estimates and sales reports compiled by Inside EVs:
- Tesla Model S, 14,770
- Chevrolet Volt, 13,895
- Toyota Prius Prime, 13,157
- Tesla Model X, 12,170
The Bolt was named North American Car of the Year at Detroit's North American International Auto Show.
Among other honors, it also was named one of Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars for 2017; Motor Trend gave the electric car its Car of the Year Award; and it was named Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November 2016.
Pricing for the Bolt EV starts at $37,495 before federal tax incentives of up to $7,500.