As the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV rolls out across the U.S. over a nine-month period, electric-car advocates have focused intently on its sales numbers.
It's fair to say that in its first four months on sale, they haven't yet broken any records.
But now, for the first time, there's a national lease program for the Bolt EV that may prove attractive to some buyers who've been sitting on the fence.
DON'T MISS: 2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric car: new owner's first impressions
While it's not at the $199 monthly rate frequently offered on the Nissan Leaf, it's also at least competitive with lease rates for mass-market cars at its price level.
Courtesy of our colleagues at CarsDirect, who located the lease, the offer is for a three-year lease at $329 a month with $3,809 due at signing.
Significantly, that lease allows up to 15,000 miles a year.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car U.S. distribution plan by state, Oct 2016-Sep 2017
That's meaningfully higher than the 10,000 or 12,000 miles that have largely been standard on electric-car leases thus far.
With an EPA-rated 238-mile range, the Bolt EV can cover many more miles each day than the 80- to 125-mile ranges offered by other battery-electric vehicles priced from $25,000 to $45,000.
Before this program, Bolt EV leases were limited to California, Oregon, Washington, and a small handful of Northeastern states.
CHECK YOUR STATE: When can I buy a Chevy Bolt EV electric car? See state-by-state schedule
Those were the first states to get Bolt EV supplies under Chevy's roll-out plan, which opened up ordering in September for December deliveries in the first states, and stretches through orders this June for cars to arrive this September.
Amusingly, Chevrolet's home state of Michigan, where the Bolt EV is assembled, is in the very last set of states to receive Bolt EVs.
The new national lease program is identical to the California program, except that the amount due at signing is higher.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
That's because California lessees get an additional $2,250 "regional lease discount," which parallels that state's $2,500 purchase rebate for zero-emission vehicles.
The state rebate comes right off the top, so Californians need to put down only $1,559.
New York State, which began offering a $2,000 purchase rebate, will likely have similarly lower money-down requirements for lessees.
WATCH THIS: Chevrolet Bolt EV: Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy 2017
CarsDirect notes that if the down payment is factored into the three-year lease, however, the monthly cost rises to $435—versus $363 monthly on a similar lease for a 2017 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid.
There's history that suggests, however, that further incentives may arrive down the road.
But, if you're bound and determined to get a Bolt EV sooner rather than later, now there's a first cut at a lease that's available everywhere.
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