How the cheapest Tesla Model 3 at $40,000 stacks up against a loaded $44,000 Chevy Bolt EV

Matthew DeBordMay 8, 2020, 02:53 IST

Business Insider

In 2018, I put a $57,500 Model 3 up against a $43,000 Chevy Bolt in a battle of marquee electric cars.
Round one was a tie, but I recently tested an updated Chevy Bolt with longer range, priced at $44,000.
Tesla now sells the same version of the Model 3 I reviewed for $40,000, so I figured it was time for rematch.
The Model 3 takes round two. The price is hard to beat.
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My first real crack at the Tesla Model 3 came in 2018, after I'd already driven the vehicle several times, under limited conditions.

But then Tesla loaned me a single-motor version, priced at $57,500 — and well-equipped with extra features — to test for a week. I was utterly blown away.

I had, of course, also sampled the Chevy Bolt EV, and been quite impressed with Chevy's then-cheaper long-range EV. In a comparison of both cars, I declare it a tie.

In the early days of the Model 3, pricing at various trim levels and with different feature-sets was sort of all over the place, but it's now firmed up. The bottom line is that the nearly-$60,000 vehicle I enjoyed in 2018 can now be had for about $40,000.

That's minus what Tesla calls its "Full Self-Driving" option, and you have to order the car in with the base Pearl White exterior, base black interior, and base wheels. The range is 250 miles, notably less than the 322 miles you could get with the higher trim levels.

The question, then, is, "How does the cheapest Model 3 stack up against the Chevy Bolt, given that it's effectively the same car as more expensive versions — and the Bolt has gotten a range boost to 260 miles?"

Read on to get the answer:

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And the winner is the Tesla Model 3.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The infotainment system runs on a responsive, colorful 10.2-inch touchscreen. In my tester, it was upgraded with a $595 package.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The multifunction steering wheel is nothing special, but it was heated in the Premier trim. The front seats were also heated.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Nothing exceptional or high-tech about the key fob — but the Bolt EV does have remote start! There's a myChevrolet app that has Bolt-specific features.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

I used ChargePoint to top off the Bolt at a nearby Level 2 station. According to Chevy, the Bolt can return four miles each hour to the battery at 120-volt, and can get back to full in ten hours on 240-volt. A DC fast-charge returns 100 miles to the battery in 30 minutes.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

I used ChargePoint to top off the Bolt at a nearby Level 2 station. According to Chevy, the Bolt can return four miles each hour to the battery at 120-volt, and can get back to full in ten hours on 240-volt. A DC fast-charge returns 100 miles to the battery in 30 minutes.

The Bolt has a single forward speed.This joystick shifter has a learning curve, but it isn't too bad.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

We aren't seeing everything here — for gearheads, popping the hood on an EV can be sort of dispiriting. The Bolt's 66 kilowatt-hour battery pack is actually located under the vehicle's floorboards. There's a single motor on the front axle. Total power output is a peppy 200 horsepower.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

We aren't seeing everything here — for gearheads, popping the hood on an EV can be sort of dispiriting. The Bolt's 66 kilowatt-hour battery pack is actually located under the vehicle's floorboards. There's a single motor on the front axle. Total power output is a peppy 200 horsepower.

It gobbled up a pair of large boxes.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

At 17 cubic feet, the Bolt's cargo hold is larger than the Tesla Model 3's trunk. Drop the back seats and capacity expands to 57 cubic feet.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The Bolt also has moderately more overall storage space — not to mention wireless device charging, a feature that the Model 3 lacks.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

To be honest, I thought the Bolt had slightly better legroom the the Model 3.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The rear seats are a bench design.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The interior was a not-very-premium Dark Galvanized Gray, with some not-very-premium details crafted fro the finest plastic Detroit has to offer.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

No moonroof in my Bolt, but the cabin is roomy and comfortable.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The wheels were 17-inchers on my test car.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There no way around this: the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier is a rather small vehicle. That's not a negative: the base version is $36,620, and it offers long-range, entry-level EVing in a versatile, hatchback platform.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There no way around this: the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier is a rather small vehicle. That's not a negative: the base version is $36,620, and it offers long-range, entry-level EVing in a versatile, hatchback platform.

The Bolt EV badging is low-key.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's no internal-combustion engine, to there's no need for a grille intended for air intake. Unfortunately, this does give the Bolt's fascia a very plasticky appearance.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

There's no internal-combustion engine, to there's no need for a grille intended for air intake. Unfortunately, this does give the Bolt's fascia a very plasticky appearance.

But otherwise, the Bolt isn't much changed. It remains a Euro-style hatchback, brainchild of GM's small-car lab in South Korea.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

The updated 2020 Bolt has a larger battery pack, at 66 kilowatts, and greater range oif 260 miles on a charge.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

When I first got behind the wheel of the Model 3 in 2017, I decided it was a modest masterpiece.

Our first Chevy Bolt EV test car in 2017. Hollis Johnson

GM's top brass — President Mark Reuss and CEO Mary Barra — rolled out the Bolt in 2015 and beat the Model 3 to market by a full year when the Bolt went on sale in late 2016.

Chevy Bolt EV. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

GM's top brass — President Mark Reuss and CEO Mary Barra — rolled out the Bolt in 2015 and beat the Model 3 to market by a full year when the Bolt went on sale in late 2016.

My top-level 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier stickered at $44,130, as-tested. The base price was $41,020, but a few thousand bucks in extras hiked the price.

2020 Chevy Bolt EV. Matthew DeBord/Insider

Tesla's navigation system is excellent. It integrates battery charge levels with route-planning and supercharger location to optimize range for longer trips.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The killer app for Teslas is over-the-air software updates. I experienced one while I was testing the Model 3. It didn't add anything obvious, but it can improve the car while it's sitting in the driveway.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The killer app for Teslas is over-the-air software updates. I experienced one while I was testing the Model 3. It didn't add anything obvious, but it can improve the car while it's sitting in the driveway.

Tesla in-house audio system is superb — as good or better than many premium setups found in luxury vehicles.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The touchscreen carries an immense amount of responsibility. It's divided into left and right areas, with important driving info on the left and infotainment on the right. Where the "P" is, for example, becomes a speedometer when the Model 3 is in motion.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The touchscreen carries an immense amount of responsibility. It's divided into left and right areas, with important driving info on the left and infotainment on the right. Where the "P" is, for example, becomes a speedometer when the Model 3 is in motion.

The steering wheel is a miracle of simplicity, with just two, customizable thumb-wheels controlling an assortment of features.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

Tesla's smartphone app functions as the vehicle's key. You can also use it to manage various functions. It's quite useful.

The Tesla app. Matthew DeBord/BI

Free supercharging for life used to be a great perk of Tesla ownership. But as ownership has grown, Tesla has adjusted the deal.

Our test Tesla Model 3 juices up at a Supercharger station. Matthew DeBord/BI

You aren't gonna get a look at any of the inner-workings of the Model 3's powertrain. It's a 54-kilowatt-hour unit, yokes to a single motor over the rear axle.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

... and a front trunk or "frunk" adds a bit more space.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The trunk has 15 cubic feet of cargo capacity ...

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

... but there's adequate legroom for adults.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The rear bench is cozy ...

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The interior is actually quite minimalist, and for this trim level, back is the cheapest option. Tesla makes its own seats, and their rather comfy.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

My passengers appreciated the light-filled interior.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

It's stunning on a sunny day. I sadly contended with rain for most of my test week.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The glass roof is a standout feature. So dramatic!

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The Model 3 has regenerative braking, which restores power to the battery.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The design, like all of Tesla's other, has held up quite well over the four years since I first saw the vehicle.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The Model 3 embodies and extends the philosophy of Tesla's design chief, Franz von Holzhausen, which is elegant and conservative without being boring.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The Model 3 is a fastback sedan — the roofline terminates at the truck lid, and the car isn't a hatchback.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

The Model 3 is a sleek and dashing set of wheels. The least expensive version is now the "Standard Range"version, costing about $40,000.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

Tesla revealed the the Model 3 to much hoopla in 2016.

Tesla Model 3. AP Photo/Justin Pritchard

Hello, Tesla Model 3! This was the $57,500 version of the car I tested a few years ago. But it was well-equipped, with Tesla's top-of-the-line red paint job, upgraded wheels, and full self-driving capability. If I ordered the same vehicle today, it would be about $51,000.

Tesla Model 3. Matthew DeBord/BI

Hello, Tesla Model 3! This was the $57,500 version of the car I tested a few years ago. But it was well-equipped, with Tesla's top-of-the-line red paint job, upgraded wheels, and full self-driving capability. If I ordered the same vehicle today, it would be about $51,000.

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How the cheapest Tesla Model 3 at $40,000 stacks up against a loaded $44,000 Chevy Bolt EV

And the winner is the Tesla Model 3.

The infotainment system runs on a responsive, colorful 10.2-inch touchscreen. In my tester, it was upgraded with a $595 package.

The multifunction steering wheel is nothing special, but it was heated in the Premier trim. The front seats were also heated.

Nothing exceptional or high-tech about the key fob — but the Bolt EV does have remote start! There's a myChevrolet app that has Bolt-specific features.

I used ChargePoint to top off the Bolt at a nearby Level 2 station. According to Chevy, the Bolt can return four miles each hour to the battery at 120-volt, and can get back to full in ten hours on 240-volt. A DC fast-charge returns 100 miles to the battery in 30 minutes.

The Bolt has a single forward speed.This joystick shifter has a learning curve, but it isn't too bad.

We aren't seeing everything here — for gearheads, popping the hood on an EV can be sort of dispiriting. The Bolt's 66 kilowatt-hour battery pack is actually located under the vehicle's floorboards. There's a single motor on the front axle. Total power output is a peppy 200 horsepower.

It gobbled up a pair of large boxes.

At 17 cubic feet, the Bolt's cargo hold is larger than the Tesla Model 3's trunk. Drop the back seats and capacity expands to 57 cubic feet.

The Bolt also has moderately more overall storage space — not to mention wireless device charging, a feature that the Model 3 lacks.

To be honest, I thought the Bolt had slightly better legroom the the Model 3.

The rear seats are a bench design.

The interior was a not-very-premium Dark Galvanized Gray, with some not-very-premium details crafted fro the finest plastic Detroit has to offer.

No moonroof in my Bolt, but the cabin is roomy and comfortable.

The wheels were 17-inchers on my test car.

There no way around this: the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier is a rather small vehicle. That's not a negative: the base version is $36,620, and it offers long-range, entry-level EVing in a versatile, hatchback platform.

The Bolt EV badging is low-key.

There's no internal-combustion engine, to there's no need for a grille intended for air intake. Unfortunately, this does give the Bolt's fascia a very plasticky appearance.

But otherwise, the Bolt isn't much changed. It remains a Euro-style hatchback, brainchild of GM's small-car lab in South Korea.

The updated 2020 Bolt has a larger battery pack, at 66 kilowatts, and greater range oif 260 miles on a charge.

When I first got behind the wheel of the Model 3 in 2017, I decided it was a modest masterpiece.

GM's top brass — President Mark Reuss and CEO Mary Barra — rolled out the Bolt in 2015 and beat the Model 3 to market by a full year when the Bolt went on sale in late 2016.

My top-level 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Premier stickered at $44,130, as-tested. The base price was $41,020, but a few thousand bucks in extras hiked the price.

Tesla's navigation system is excellent. It integrates battery charge levels with route-planning and supercharger location to optimize range for longer trips.

The killer app for Teslas is over-the-air software updates. I experienced one while I was testing the Model 3. It didn't add anything obvious, but it can improve the car while it's sitting in the driveway.

Tesla in-house audio system is superb — as good or better than many premium setups found in luxury vehicles.

The touchscreen carries an immense amount of responsibility. It's divided into left and right areas, with important driving info on the left and infotainment on the right. Where the "P" is, for example, becomes a speedometer when the Model 3 is in motion.

The steering wheel is a miracle of simplicity, with just two, customizable thumb-wheels controlling an assortment of features.

Tesla's smartphone app functions as the vehicle's key. You can also use it to manage various functions. It's quite useful.

Free supercharging for life used to be a great perk of Tesla ownership. But as ownership has grown, Tesla has adjusted the deal.

You aren't gonna get a look at any of the inner-workings of the Model 3's powertrain. It's a 54-kilowatt-hour unit, yokes to a single motor over the rear axle.

... and a front trunk or "frunk" adds a bit more space.

The trunk has 15 cubic feet of cargo capacity ...

... but there's adequate legroom for adults.

The rear bench is cozy ...

The interior is actually quite minimalist, and for this trim level, back is the cheapest option. Tesla makes its own seats, and their rather comfy.

My passengers appreciated the light-filled interior.

It's stunning on a sunny day. I sadly contended with rain for most of my test week.

The glass roof is a standout feature. So dramatic!

The Model 3 has regenerative braking, which restores power to the battery.

The design, like all of Tesla's other, has held up quite well over the four years since I first saw the vehicle.

The Model 3 embodies and extends the philosophy of Tesla's design chief, Franz von Holzhausen, which is elegant and conservative without being boring.

The Model 3 is a fastback sedan — the roofline terminates at the truck lid, and the car isn't a hatchback.

The Model 3 is a sleek and dashing set of wheels. The least expensive version is now the "Standard Range"version, costing about $40,000.

Tesla revealed the the Model 3 to much hoopla in 2016.

Hello, Tesla Model 3! This was the $57,500 version of the car I tested a few years ago. But it was well-equipped, with Tesla's top-of-the-line red paint job, upgraded wheels, and full self-driving capability. If I ordered the same vehicle today, it would be about $51,000.