First Three Chevy Bolt Customers Receive EVs
The first Bolt customers (left to right), software developer Bobby Edmonds, retired officer William “Bill” Mattos, and real estate broker Steve Henry
Nearly two years after the Bolt concept first debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, a production version of the revolutionary electric vehicle has finally arrived—for three people in California, at least.
Today in the San Francisco Bay area, the bowtie brand delivered the first three 2017 Chevy Bolt EVs to the new model’s first three customers. The lucky trio of Bolt buyers consisted of retired law enforcement officer Bill Mattos of Fremont, California; Castro Valley-based software developer Bobby Edmonds; and Steve Henry, a commercial real estate broker from Portola Valley.
For Mattos, the Bolt represents his third electric Chevy, after he previously owned a Spark EV and second-generation Volt EV. Henry and Edmonds are both converts, however, the latter replacing his Toyota Prius and the former switching over from a BMW i3.
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“The range and technology attracted me to the Bolt EV,” Bobby Edmonds says of his new Bolt. “It’s also a great-looking, roomy vehicle and I love the fact it’s from an American brand. I look forward to the longer drives I can make compared to the i3 that I owned.”
Though priced at $37,495, the Bolt comes in just under 30 grand for customers eligible for the up to $7,500 in tax credits. More Bolts are currently en route to California and Oregon markets, and are set to arrive this month. A nationwide launch will begin in 2017, first at Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, and the car will be available at Bolt EV-certified dealerships across the states by mid-2017.
So for the next few months, aspirational Bolt owners in the Midwest will just have to wait patiently… and quietly envy Bill Mattos, Steve Henry, and Bobby Edmonds.
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