Chevrolet Bolt Trademark Application Suspended
For the second time, General Motors application to trademark the name “Bolt” for its upcoming electric car is under suspension.
GM unveiled the Bolt Concept during the 2015 North American International Auto Show, saying that it will have a driving range of roughly 200 miles and a price tag around $30,000. But the Detroit automaker is running into problems as it tried to protect the name slated for use with the new small electric car.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suspended GM’s application for the name because Yamaha already holds a trademark meant for motorcycles and their structural parts. The two companies reached an agreement that would allow GM to proceed were it not for the fact that Bolt Custom Trucks, a Fort Wayne, Ind.,-based company that builds custom sleeper cab for tractor trailers, applied to protect the same name before GM did.
According to timelines reported previously, GM should be targeting a launch for the Bolt in roughly 16 months. Even if GM ends up pushing its timeline back, the Bolt will still go to market with a significant head start over the Tesla Model III that is slated to sell for roughly the same price and offer comparable driving range.
A General Motors representative was not available to comment. Bolt Custom Trucks owner Brian Callan said over the phone that he wasn’t aware of his company’s pending application standing in the way of General Motors’ ability to trademark the name.
Thanks to Dennis for the tip!
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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i thought they already make a Cheby Bolt
The bolt trademark issue was fixed on May 28th. Amendment made and accepted, plus two new "Bolt EV" trademarks were made around the same time.