John Helveston, Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering who studies the transition to more sustainable vehicles, was recently featured in an article by the Boston Globe. The article, “Why killing the Chevy Bolt was the right move for GM - but it still hurts,” focused on why General Motors made the decision to discontinue the Chevrolet Bolt. The Bolt is an electric sedan that has had two major recalls in the past three years due to the risk of batteries catching fire.
“The Bolt has had a lot of issues, so it’s not that shocking to see this decision being made,” said Helveston. “EVs are a rapidly changing technology… Apple doesn’t sell the iPhone 5 anymore.”
Additionally, there are more electric vehicles (EVs) coming out this year at almost the same price point that feature upgraded battery technology. For example, the Bolt’s maximum range was estimated to be 259 miles, but the new Equinox EV is expected to go 300 miles. The new EVs will also be able to charge far more quickly at DC fast chargers than the Bolt, which is critical for long trips. However, this shift continues to move away from smaller and more efficient vehicles to larger cars and trucks.
Read the full article in the Boston Globe.