GM's much anticipated Chevy Bolt won't be widely available until Spring

General Motor's much anticipated Chevy Bolt won't hit the majority of dealerships until spring of 2017.

The Bolt has drawn a lot of attention as an affordable, long-range electric car. It's priced at $37,500 before federal tax credits and can drive 238 miles on a single charge. The car won Motor Trend's Car of the Year award, becoming the second electric car after Tesla's Model S to secure the award.

The Bolt has always been expected to hit dealerships at the end of 2016, but the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that it will only become available in California and Oregon to meet that deadline.

The Bolt will only be offered in limited quantities in 2017, with deliveries occurring at a "slow flow" pace.

That's a pretty significant change in strategy, as the Bolt has been touted as having a significant advantage in the EV space by hitting the market well before Tesla's affordable electric car, the Model 3, which is slated for deliveries beginning at the end of 2017.

It's also worth noting that California and Oregon are two of nine states that have adopted the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate that requires a certain percentage of automakers' sales to be zero-emission vehicles or be at risk for a fine. So it's easy to see why Chevy is targeting those two markets first.

GM did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.