Buick Velite 7 likely previews the Chevy Bolt EUV
In fact, the electric Buick looks identical to an image GM showed of an unbranded EV a few years back.
Swap the badges, and this is probably the next Chevy EV for the US.
Another day, another electric car ready for China. This time, it's the Buick Velite 7 that debuted Thursday, and we have a feeling that this basically previews the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt EUV that GM has previously confirmed is coming.
Why? Well, the shape looks an awful lot like a standard Chevy Bolt EV and we know the Bolt EUV (that stands for "electric utility vehicle") will share GM's BEV2 electric car platform. Buick China didn't share finer details, but this looks slightly larger than a standard Bolt EV as well.
Not to mention, this design nearly matches an image GM shared in 2017 when talking about new electric crossovers in the pipeline. The image has the same jagged headlights and front fascia as the Velite 7 seen here. The original image seen below was shared during a conference where GM said it would use the existing BEV2 platform to "expand in the near term." BEV2 will ultimately give way to BEV3, which will debut the automaker's Ultium battery technology capable of 400-mile driving ranges.
This photo came around in 2017 when GM spoke of new EVs coming in the near term. Looks like the Velite 7, huh?
When asked about the Velite 7's relation to the Chevy Bolt EUV, a Chevy spokesperson confirmed with Roadshow the two models will share the same platform but did not comment further.
As for the Velite 7 itself, Buick said it will go 310 miles based on the New European Driving Cycle, but expect a range under 300 miles, realistically. The NEDC is not only an outdated cycle, but very liberal in its estimates. Something slightly greater than the Bolt EV's current 259-mile range seems more realistic. In fact, Buick mentioned a "new modular high-performance lithium-ion battery" for the Velite 7 with a higher energy density, so it's likely it'll go a little farther than a Bolt EV.
The Velite 7 joins two other Velite-branded models Buick only sells in China: the Velite 5 (a reskinned Chevy Volt) and the Velite 6. The latter is totally unique to China with no counterpart sold in the US. Chevy also sells a version of the Velite 6 named the Menlo EV, and honestly, it looks way cooler than a Bolt.
But we have plenty of electric vehicles coming from GM that Americans will have the chance to own. The GMC Hummer EV pickup is probably the most anticipated, but the Cadillac Lyriq SUV will also mark a new era for the automaker's luxury division. Total, the automaker has 10 electric cars coming for the US by 2025.
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