Beyond choosing a version, there are up to 8 exterior colors and 2 interior options.
Additionally, two “packages” are offered, but they vary depending on which version of the Bolt you choose.
The $750 Option That Really Should Be Standard
The only notable “exterior” option is DC fast charging, which costs $750, but really should be standard on all Bolts.
In the “interior” tab, you’ll find some stand-alone items for the LT version like heated seats, heated steering wheel and some safety assist features for both versions of the 2017 Bolt.
Set your way back machine to 1956, boys and girls, and let’s travel back in time to 1956. Eisenhower was in the White House (when he wasn’t playing golf). Construction of the interstate highway system had just begun. Cars had tail fins and looked like jet fighters. Transistor radios were everywhere and people flocked to shows like the General Motors Motorama that showcased the automotive wonders the future had in store.
That was the year engineers at General Motors unveiled their vision of a future in which cars drove themselves on dedicated highways. Similar to air traffic controllers, humans in towers built alongside the road every 20 miles or so would issue instructions about speed and direction to the cars using wires embedded in the roadway. Instructions from the control towers would eliminate congestion and keep us all safe on our journeys.
The idyllic future was embodied in the Firebird II, a finned and frothy design that included such technological marvels as an onboard orange juice maker. It was powered by a gas turbine and was the first car ever constructed of titanium. The Firebird II was featured in a recent episode of Jay Leno’s garage.
60 years later, Tesla Motors has brought us forward into the future with a modern day version of the Firebird II that is made of aluminum and features an electric motor. Like the concept car from 1956, it has a large center display packed with driving directions and entertainment options. It also can drive without a human hand on the wheel thanks to an onboard supercomputer 1000 times more powerful than the guidance systems that guided Americans to the surface of the moon and back.
The Tesla Model S with Autopilot is a far better car than the visionaries at General Motors could have ever imagined back in 1956. But drivers today owe a debt of gratitude to those people who could peer far into the future and foresee a time when self driving cars would become the norm. For a trip back in time, be sure to enjoy the video put together by General Motors to showcase the Firebird II. You can skip the fanfare at the beginning. The fun begins just prior to the 2 minute mark. Enjoy!
A few things are evident from Roberto Baldwin’s excellent AOL/Engadget photo gallery. I’ll let you discover how good-looking the Elio E1c is (or isn’t, I guess) on your own. I did, however, want to point out a few things in the three photos I picked, above.
First, the interior on the Elio Motors E1c shown at the LA Auto Show over the weekend is vastly, hugely improved. The E1c is worlds ahead of the kit-carish jumble I saw in Las Vegas. This is what a pre-production unit should look like, and the upgraded interior alone will go a long way towards convincing even the most determined un-believers that Elio has- finally!- hired some people that know how to build a car.
Second, it’s worth pointing out that the E1c seems to be running Elio’s own engine, instead of a junkyard Geo Metro mill. That may not seem like a big deal, but delivering a running, driving vehicle powered by your own, original engine design is a feat that long eluded bigger, more famous names like Lotus and AMG.
Finally, they painted the car black. At the LA Auto Show. Elio isn’t be breaking any new technological ground with the Elio Motors E1c, but painting a make-or-break prototype at one of the world’s biggest car shows black takes serious balls. If they were nervous about the quality of their body panels’ reflection lines, they might have gone for a matte white or bright orange finish. But, no. Black. Black to show every wave and every wiggle.
Check out the Elio Motors E1c official press release and teaser/launch video, below, then let us know what you think of this latest plot development in Paul Elio’s story in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
Elio Motors E1c | Official Word
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Elio Motors (OTCQX: ELIO), the start-up vehicle manufacturer planning to launch a three-wheel vehicle that will get up to 84 mpg with a set $7,300* base price, today introduced its E1c engineering vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The E1c engineering vehicle is a significant step forward as Elio Motors progresses from the prototype to production phase. While the exterior is similar to previous Elio prototypes, the E1c engineering vehicle features foundational and structural improvements to the frame, suspension, and safety systems that will ultimately create a more satisfying driving experience.
The E1c is part of Elio Motors’ E-Series vehicles, which are being built for testing and validation purposes. More than 80 percent of the E1c was assembled using soft tooling — short-term, low-cost production tools — to prove manufacturability and repeatability of individual parts prior to full production.
“The E1c represents our continued progress along our long-term plan to bring low-cost, highly fuel efficient transportation to the market,” said Elio Motors’ founder and CEO Paul Elio. “We have assembled an amazing team of engineers and supplier partners who have jumped into every aspect of this vehicle to make sure it meets or exceeds all of our targets. Their passion for creating a game-changing vehicle is one of our company’s greatest strengths.”
While the company has made hundreds of refinements during the vehicle engineering phase, some of the more impactful changes include the frame, suspension and safety systems with improved comfort and functionality.
The E1c features a unibody frame, which allows for better absorption of energy and greater safety tuning of the vehicle. The unibody frame was developed specifically for Elio Motors by the Elio Motors engineering team, Schwab Industries and Roush Engineering. In addition to the safety benefits, the unibody frame also will improve the production vehicle’s fit and finish and will manufacturability.
The modified suspension will sharpen handling and improve aerodynamics, improve long-term vehicle durability and reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
The E1c is the first Elio Motors vehicle to feature airbags, a key component in Elio Motors’ Safety Management System, with two roof-rail side-curtain airbags and a driver airbag in the steering wheel.
“The soft tooling phase is crucial to our long-term success, as we progress from hand-built prototypes to more refined vehicles built with production tooling,” said Jeff Johnston, Elio Motors’ Vice President of Engineering. “The E1c features 80% production level components and systems and represents a monumental leap forward.”
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