The Bolt is a fine car, but they sell them at an approx $8000 dollar loss. So not really a fair comparison unless you take that into account.

Is that calculated similar to how Tesla loses $20,000 per car? ($2b loss/100k cars in 2017)

Obviously not because GM makes overall profit.

It's based on media reports like https://electrek.co/2016/11/30/gm-chevy-bolt-ev-loss-before-... and http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/06/ubs-gm-probably-loses-ab....

Electrek report is based on taking to GM insiders. gmauthority is based on a vehicle teardown.

For what it's worth during earnings calls Tesla discloses profit margins for their cars.

As I understand it, GM never publicly disclosed profit margin for Bolt so the unofficial guesses is all we have to go on.

The report on the Chevy Bolt that UBS financed has apparently more or less wandered into the public domain. It's available here (first google hit): http://www.advantagelithium.com/_resources/pdf/UBS-Article.p...

It paints a hopeful picture if you're interested in the future of electric cars, I think. The Bolt is something GM threw together with the minimal amount of effort necessary, understanding that this generation would have pretty low volume, and it's honestly really good for what it is.

Is that an operational loss or is it factoring in the design and development costs?

> What do you think the Model 3 shows when compared to the Bolt?

An additional 72 mile range for the Model 3. And a standard compact car form factor to Chevy’s sub sub-compact. I’m sure that yields some shoulder room and other comfort benefits.

The greater range costs $15,000, it is mostly coming from a bigger battery (Tesla does have a modest edge on range/kW-h).

The form factor is also not a technical thing, it's the sort of thing I was trying to head off with they aren't really aimed at the same market segments. I think it is fair to say that the Model 3 is the more desired car, but that's not the same as demonstrating a big lead in electric platforms.

Thanks for pointing that out. I fooled myself with my GoogleFU.

That’s right. No one else is trying to make a sexy electric car at a low price.

> No one else is trying to make a sexy electric car at a low price.

Whatever Tesla is trying, they aren't actually delivering that, either. The model 3 may have curb appeal (the interior is another story) but it certainly isn't at a low price (the base price is above the median total—options and taxes included—transaction price of a US new car purchase.)

To put that into perspective, this range difference is almost the entire range of a < 2016 Nissan Leaf.