As legacy automakers continue to work feverously to develop new battery electric vehicles, each is also taking a decidedly different approach toward electrifying its lineup. Currently, two of the Detroit big three automakers – Ford and General Motors – each have an electric vehicle in their respective lineups – the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Chevrolet Bolt EV – but the two couldn’t be any more different.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV was GM’s first long-range, consumer-grade electric vehicle. The BEV2 platform that it’s based on was only just the beginning of GM’s EV efforts, however, and the automaker’s upcoming electric vehicles figure to look nothing like it. Regardless, after announcing that it intends to electrify its entire lineup by 2025, the Bolt will undoubtedly be surrounded by BEVs in the coming years. All of GM’s future EVs not under the Bolt sub-brand will be based on the next-gen BEV3 platform, however.
2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV
The Bolt EV is a compact, five-door hatchback with rather docile styling, though a refresh is coming very soon. Regardless, it will retain its basic dimensions and receive new front and rear fascias, so we aren’t expecting a seismic shift in terms of design. As far as GM’s future BEVs go, each figures to look a lot like its ICE-powered counterpart than traditional electric vehicles.
We know this because, in an interview conducted back in 2019, GM design chief Michael Simcoe noted that this was the direction the automaker would take moving forward. “We don’t believe customers are really looking for vehicles that scream ‘I’m electric,’ and therefore have a different appearance,” Simcoe said. “Most of our customers tell us that we’ll buy an electric vehicle if it does everything that my gas-powered vehicle does, including in some ways the appearance.”
On the other hand, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E takes a decidedly different approach to attacking the electric vehicle market, combining sporty styling with a bit of traditional EV flair (just take its closed-off front grille area as an example) to result in a product that looks like a true performance vehicle when compared side-by-side to the Bolt.
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV Teaser
Like the Bolt, the Mach-E is Ford’s first EV effort, which means that it will serve as a proving ground for Ford’s electric vehicle tech in the same way the Bolt did for GM. And while these two vehicles may otherwise share little in common, it’s interesting to think that just a few years ago, no one would have guessed that we’d see two electric vehicles from two of the world’s largest automakers sharing the road together.
We’ll have more on the Mach-E and its competition soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Mustang Mach-E news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
This is GM 2nd attempt at a EV while it’s Fords 1st, FCA hasn’t join this Club yet they too busy putting 6.2 and 6.4 in every model from Dodge to Jeep Appearance and size matter,
3rd if you count the EV-1! Those who drove that early EV LOVED IT, but GM took them all back and destroyed all but a few, which are in museums. Their reasoning? “No one reeeally wants an EV”. Screw them. I’ll keep my Hyundai!
Ford has had other EVs like the Ranger and Focus EVs.
Suffice it to say, that if two of the largest manufacturers are as serious as they appear to be about the EV change over, we’re witnessing a monumental shift in vehicle motivation that has used ICE for its entire existence. Historical, and you are a witness.
GM haven’t sold the Bolt in any numbers. And in less than 5 years they want to be all electric. I hope they aren’t planning on the tax payers to save them again.
Al, you have hit the nail on the head!! My problem with “all electric” is simple, where does the electricity come from????? Burning natural gas/ burning Coal, and Nuclear account for about 80% of our electric supply. As most public schools don’t teach much of anything now days, far too many people don’t realize you have a loss when you transmit power. IMHO, converting a large portion of America’s vehicles to NG (we have almost 100 years Proven reserve), would reduce carbon emissions (in a huge way), still give us powerful ICEs, and keep our dollars here in the US! Ford has shipped so many jobs out of the US, they have proven by their actions, they are not concerned with their customers or our countries future.
@royfy (you seem to be a coward to reveal your true name), you are wrong in every point. EV owners recharge at night when the power utilities have excess energy but few consume it. Just call up your power utility and ask! And many EV owners have solar power so they charge for free. Can you get fuel for free?
NG still contaminates the environment. And how do you get fuel? You use electricity to pump it, so you contaminate the environment twice when you drive any ICEV.
EV’s have to look different (weird) because their buyers love to virtue signal about how much more they care about the environment than everyone else. They are all complete phonies. They will ignore the massive environmental damage that will be caused trying to manufacture 10’s of million battery packs for these automobiles. Also remember, Tesla still doesn’t come close to earning a profit if you’d take away their sale of “green energy credits” that other companies are forced to purchase. Take away the tax incentive for buying an EV (like a country already $29 trillion in debt can afford to grant large tax credits) and the whole EV market wouldl collapse.
EV and climate change are both scams. And we will all be paying for it. Higher energy prices. Economic slow down. China eating our lunch.
I will give credit to EV’s where credit is due. They make a nicer golf cart (to use) than ICE powered ones. I can’t talk about the maintenance cost, since I personally do not have any data. However, I know the turnaround time on the ICE cart is quicker.
If somebody had told me twenty five years ago that EVs would become big I would have laughed. Today up here in Canada we have EVs coming to current factories at Cami Ingersoll (commercial units), Ford Oakville (F150s) and GM Oshawa (pickups). And several companies are moving into battery production.
Making them is one thing; selling them is another!