- General Motors has heavily upgraded the Bolt, with more range and faster charging speeds.
- It won’t be on sale for an extended time period, the automaker said in a media briefing on Thursday.
- Recently, GM announced that Bolt production in Kansas will only be on one production line instead of two.
General Motors revealed the 2027 Chevy Bolt on Wednesday, which is now America’s most affordable electric vehicle with a starting price of under $30,000 when it goes on sale in January 2026.
It now offers 255 miles of GM-estimated range, 150 kilowatts of maximum charging speed and a Tesla-style port right from the factory for easy Supercharger access. However, buyers may have to move fast if they want the new Bolt, as it will be on sale only a “little longer,” according to Chevrolet.
In a media briefing on Thursday, Chevrolet announced that the new generation Bolt will be a “limited run” model only. The company stopped short of disclosing the exact number of new Bolt units it plans to produce at its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas. We don’t know how many months or years the new Bolt will continue being on the market, either.
“We cannot disclose forecast volumes. We moved quickly to retain the nameplate in our portfolio for a little longer, after hearing feedback from ending production,” a Chevrolet spokesperson said.
However, the company said that it expects both the Bolt and the Equinox EV to continue driving EV volumes for the brand going forward. And there’s no specific production capacity constrain on the Bolt, Chevrolet said.
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Source: Chevrolet
“We will have more details to share later on specific timing. While we cannot share future product plans, we can say Chevrolet will not abandon affordability as a cornerstone value that has made it one of the most iconic and popular brands in the country,” the spokesperson added.
The new generation Bolt resembles the Bolt EUV, whose production ended in late 2023. Still, the company said more than 50% of the parts on the new Bolt are new or modified.
This includes the new X76 electric drive unit, revised electrical architecture and a new 65-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, providing an EPA-estimated range of 255 miles. GM is sourcing the battery from an unnamed foreign supplier until it ramps up domestic LFP battery production.
Other than that, there are huge improvements to the Bolt. Charging speeds receive a significant boost with 150 kilowatts of peak power (up from 50 kW previously). That means a 10-80% charge will take only 26 minutes, and since it’s an LFP battery, owners can charge it to 100% every night and wake up to a full 255 miles of range each morning. LFP batteries are more stable at a higher state of charge and don’t result in as much health degradation over time as nickel-based batteries.
All said, the return of the Bolt is a huge opportunity for General Motors. With the expiry of the $7,500 federal tax credits, analysts expect EV sales to decline in the coming months. But automakers like GM and Nissan are stepping up with more affordable options, exactly what the EV market needs to continue surviving in the post-tax-credit world.
The launch edition Bolt will go on sale in January 2026 at $29,990, including destination fees. A more affordable LT trim will be available a couple of months down the road at $28,995.
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