Chevy Bolt and Volt names look and sound the same in Korean

General Motors named its soon-to-be-released Chevrolet electric vehicle the Bolt to indicate a succession of sorts to the Volt extended-range plug-in that was first sold in the US in late 2010. In South Korea, however, those two names are a little too close for comfort. In fact, they're pretty much identical, Wards Auto reports.

The Korean symbol and pronunciation of what is "B" in English is identical to the English "V." That's led GM Korea to add the letters "EV" to the end of the Bolt brand name in the automaker's Korean marketing materials in order to delineate the difference in the two models. As of right now, there are no plans for GM to sell the Bolt in Korea, and the Volt is being marketed primarily for car-sharing purposes. GM first showed off the Volt in South Korea at this year's Busan auto show.

Even if it won't initially be sold there, oddly enough South Korea is playing a major role in the development of the Bolt and its upcoming worldwide debut later this year. South Korea-based LG Electronics is ramping up production of about a dozen parts it will make for the EV. LG will use its three-year-old Incheon Campus near Seoul to produce items such as electric motors, inverters, and infotainment systems. LG reached an agreement with GM last fall to provide those parts for six years.

The Bolt will be priced in the US at $37,500, or about $30,000 once federal and state incentives kick in. The car is expected to have a single-charge range of about 200 miles. For Autoblog's initial impressions of a Bolt prototype (or Volt, in Korean), take a look here.