By Bob Sorokanich, senior editor, GM News
By Bob Sorokanich, senior editor, GM News
First and foremost, Josh Tavel is a gearhead. As an undergraduate at Minnesota State University, Tavel helped launch the school’s first Formula SAE racing team, where engineering students design and build race cars from scratch to compete in events judged by professional automotive engineers.
After graduation, he found his way to General Motors. When he was named chief engineer on the program to launch the 2017 Chevy Bolt, Tavel knew it wasn’t enough to make an affordable, long-range EV. He knew it also had to be fun to drive.
“I come from a racing background,” Tavel told GM News. “I like cars that have a little more fun. That’s why I love doing EVs – they’re fast, they’re quiet, they’re just a blast.”
As the Bolt took shape, Tavel and his team worked hard to achieve a balance between practicality and driving enjoyment. “We knew exactly what formula we wanted,” he told GM News. “First, we focused on getting the right amount of interior space. Then we worked on making it sporty, spunky, and fun.”
On the practical side, the Bolt delivered. When Tavel put his kids in the back seat, he realized the Bolt solved a major headache for parents everywhere. “You know when a kid is trying to buckle themselves in the back seat, and the rear latch buries itself into the seat?” In the Bolt, that wasn’t a problem. “They could actually do it themselves without getting frustrated,” he said.
When the Bolt debuted in model-year 2017, it was the first mass-produced, long-range EV available at an affordable price. On its own, that would have been a major achievement, but Tavel and the whole Bolt team sought ways to make all-electric driving appealing to early adopters and everyday commuters alike.
“We did lots of stuff to make every drive fun,” Tavel said. “Even the simple stuff – how you track your miles, how you measure your range – we gamified it so Bolt drivers could compete and compare with each other.”
A lot has changed since the 2017 Bolt debut. Before the Bolt, most EVs were niche products aimed at early adopters. Today, electric cars are everywhere. Chevrolet is the second-largest seller of EVs in the U.S. market. GM offers a portfolio of more than a dozen EVs, ranging from highly capable full-size trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC HUMMER EV; groundbreaking luxury SUVs from Cadillac like the Escalade IQ; and the budget-friendly Chevrolet Equinox EV. Tavel’s role has changed, too: Today, he’s a senior vice president at GM, overseeing research and development, manufacturing and product engineering.
When the team at Chevrolet decided to bring back the Bolt for model-year 2027, they had a formula of their own in mind: Keep the practical, compact size that Bolt fans loved, and aim to add the latest in charging, convenience, and driver assistance technology. Tavel wouldn’t spill too many details about the 2027 Bolt, but he’s excited that this upcoming model will keep the practical size that Bolt fans love.
“I think we hit a sweet spot with the Bolt’s interior and the overall dimensions,” Tavel told GM News. “Our customers told us they love that, so we’re sticking with it.”
“Love My Chevy Bolt” is a GM News series highlighting General Motors employees and their connection to Chevrolet’s iconic EV. As we get closer to the unveiling of the 2027 Chevy Bolt, we’ll be featuring employee stories from people who have a personal Bolt story to tell.
Bob Sorokanich is a former automotive journalist whose work has appeared in Road & Track, Car and Driver, Wired, Robb Report, and many other publications. He is senior editor at GM News. Reach him at news@gm.com
First and foremost, Josh Tavel is a gearhead. As an undergraduate at Minnesota State University, Tavel helped launch the school’s first Formula SAE racing team, where engineering students design and build race cars from scratch to compete in events judged by professional automotive engineers.
After graduation, he found his way to General Motors. When he was named chief engineer on the program to launch the 2017 Chevy Bolt, Tavel knew it wasn’t enough to make an affordable, long-range EV. He knew it also had to be fun to drive.
“I come from a racing background,” Tavel told GM News. “I like cars that have a little more fun. That’s why I love doing EVs – they’re fast, they’re quiet, they’re just a blast.”
As the Bolt took shape, Tavel and his team worked hard to achieve a balance between practicality and driving enjoyment. “We knew exactly what formula we wanted,” he told GM News. “First, we focused on getting the right amount of interior space. Then we worked on making it sporty, spunky, and fun.”
On the practical side, the Bolt delivered. When Tavel put his kids in the back seat, he realized the Bolt solved a major headache for parents everywhere. “You know when a kid is trying to buckle themselves in the back seat, and the rear latch buries itself into the seat?” In the Bolt, that wasn’t a problem. “They could actually do it themselves without getting frustrated,” he said.
When the Bolt debuted in model-year 2017, it was the first mass-produced, long-range EV available at an affordable price. On its own, that would have been a major achievement, but Tavel and the whole Bolt team sought ways to make all-electric driving appealing to early adopters and everyday commuters alike.
“We did lots of stuff to make every drive fun,” Tavel said. “Even the simple stuff – how you track your miles, how you measure your range – we gamified it so Bolt drivers could compete and compare with each other.”
A lot has changed since the 2017 Bolt debut. Before the Bolt, most EVs were niche products aimed at early adopters. Today, electric cars are everywhere. Chevrolet is the second-largest seller of EVs in the U.S. market. GM offers a portfolio of more than a dozen EVs, ranging from highly capable full-size trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC HUMMER EV; groundbreaking luxury SUVs from Cadillac like the Escalade IQ; and the budget-friendly Chevrolet Equinox EV. Tavel’s role has changed, too: Today, he’s a senior vice president at GM, overseeing research and development, manufacturing and product engineering.
When the team at Chevrolet decided to bring back the Bolt for model-year 2027, they had a formula of their own in mind: Keep the practical, compact size that Bolt fans loved, and aim to add the latest in charging, convenience, and driver assistance technology. Tavel wouldn’t spill too many details about the 2027 Bolt, but he’s excited that this upcoming model will keep the practical size that Bolt fans love.
“I think we hit a sweet spot with the Bolt’s interior and the overall dimensions,” Tavel told GM News. “Our customers told us they love that, so we’re sticking with it.”
“Love My Chevy Bolt” is a GM News series highlighting General Motors employees and their connection to Chevrolet’s iconic EV. As we get closer to the unveiling of the 2027 Chevy Bolt, we’ll be featuring employee stories from people who have a personal Bolt story to tell.
Bob Sorokanich is a former automotive journalist whose work has appeared in Road & Track, Car and Driver, Wired, Robb Report, and many other publications. He is senior editor at GM News. Reach him at news@gm.com