Bolt, Volt And Yamaha – How The Chevy Bolt Nearly Lost Its Name
Chevy recently unveiled an electric concept car at the Detroit Auto Show. Dubbed the Bolt, this small city car is different from the manufacturer’s other electric vehicle (the Volt) because it’s smaller and it doesn’t pack a generator; it’s electric-only. When it was launched however, some people complained that the Bolt name could confuse buyers, as it’s close to Volt.
Nonetheless, Chevrolet confirmed that the Bolt would arrive in dealerships at the end of 2016.
But it seems that while development is ongoing, the small car that will come out of Chevy’s manufacturing plant nearly lost its name. The United States Patent and Trademark Office said that Chevrolet couldn’t use the Bolt name, because it was already used by someone else; go into a Yamaha dealership, and you can buy a Bolt, a 940cc motorcycle. The Japanese manufacturer trademarked the name in 2012.
Since the electric vehicle will start rolling off the assembly lines in October 2016, Chevrolet had to work hard and strike a deal with Yamaha for the use of their name… and we can’t help but wonder if motivated dealerships might offer deals like ‘’Buy a Bolt and get a Bolt’’!