The Bolt Nano: the ‘other’ electric car called ‘Bolt’

Chances are, if someone drops the brand name “Bolt” in the context of a conversation about electric cars, your first assumption will be that he or she is talking about the Chevy Bolt. But what the heck is the Bolt Nano? Is it an extra small, reduced-calorie serving the Chevy Bolt?

Nope. It’s something entirely different.

Confusingly enough, there is another “Bolt” in the electric vehicle world. But in this case, “Bolt” isn’t really the name of an automotive model: it’s a mobility company, currently providing access to a branded fleet of e-scooters under a vehicle-sharing model.

Officially launched in Paris this month by retired Jamaican Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, Bolt Mobility bills itself as a company on a mission “to work with cities on a local level to solve traffic and parking congestion and reduce their carbon footprint with safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation alternatives.”

First to launch was an electric scooter brand, Bolt Mobility Electric Scooters, which the company claims in an announcement are “the safest, most technologically advanced , rider friendly” personal electric scooters in the US.

Models in the company’s e-scooter lineup include the Bolt Original, the Bolt One and the Bolt Chariot. 

And just last week, Bolt Mobility unveiled the Bolt Nano, a two-passenger electric car, at the VivaTech conference in Paris.

The Bolt Nano will be available late next year, according to a press release, providing customers what the company describes as an alternative to e-scooters “on days when they need to travel further, with a companion, in inclement weather, or with extra baggage.”

According to Bolt Mobility, the vehicle meets high side-impact safety standards and is built to accommodate passengers of all sizes.

Currently, commuters can access Bolt Mobility’s vehicle fleet through an app that helps them find and ride their products while also providing navigation assistance in the urban environment.

However, according to the press release announcing the Bolt Nano’s debut, the e-car will also be available for sale, with “pre-reservation” orders being taken now. The press release did not specify a cost, but CNBC reported that the vehicle’s starting price is US$9,999.

“Through its portfolio of micromobility products, Bolt Mobility fulfills the dream that many of us share to operate in a world where our vehicles will fit perfectly into the fabric of our urban environments while respecting the air we breathe,”  explained Usain Bolt, co-founder and global ambassador, in the press release.

The company says that their vehicle-sharing fleet services are “operational throughout the United States and Europe with dozens more markets launching in the coming months.”