The Bolt is coming back.
After General Motors unceremoniously canceled this groundbreaking electric compact car back in 2023, only to face a giant public outcry while the remaining stock carried its EV sales for months, the Chevrolet Bolt is making a return for the 2026 model year.
And according to a social media post from GM tonight, it will indeed be better than ever. “You asked, we listened,” the automaker said on its Instagram page.
The return of the Chevrolet Bolt is old news, but this is the first time anyone outside of GM has even had a hint of what it may look like. The images show a revised front end, a new taillight design, and most importantly, a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug. Like other automakers, GM is moving to Tesla’s plug standard, starting with several upcoming Cadillacs due out this year.
Last year, InsideEVs confirmed that the next Bolt would come in the larger, crossover-ish EUV form only; the smaller Bolt EV hatchback has seemingly been discontinued. Even so, the next Bolt is expected to continue the original’s reputation for affordability and compactness, making it perhaps the ideal option at a time when many people are worried about EV costs rising when the tax credits end in September.
GM has previously said that the next Bolt will be upgraded to use its latest suite of battery tech and software, similar to what it’s deployed on cars like the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. In this case, it will use a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack, and while it won’t be a completely clean-sheet design, it will be a thoroughly modern EV with newer safety equipment. The original Bolt first went on sale in 2016.
Pricing hasn’t been disclosed for the new Bolt. But considering that a larger Equinox EV LT can be had for around $35,000 before any tax credits, the Bolt is expected to slot in around or below $30,000. And unlike the last Bolt, its battery setup will actually make money instead of lose it for GM.
“It’s going to be at a similar price point than the old one going out, which is very low,” GM President Mark Reuss told InsideEVs at the Detroit launch of the Silverado EV and Equinox EV last year. “We’re going to deliver it at a profitable point.”
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
