Chevrolet Announces a New Bolt is Coming

It looks like GM has seen the light.

The Chevrolet Bolt may have had a rocky start. Introduced in 2017, it was one of the first EVs that could go over 200 miles, yet at a reasonable cost. There may have been some battery-related recalls, but generous price cuts and increased demand for EVs saw the Bolt EV see some of its best sales numbers ever. Yet, that didn’t stop GM from announcing that it would be discontinuing it and the Bolt EUV crossover.

Well, Mary Barra announced on GM’s earnings call, that the Bolt is actually coming back. “Our customers love today’s Bolt. It has been delivering record sales and some of the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty scores in the industry,” said Barra on the earnings call. Barra figured that letting all those new sales, many of them new converts to GM, would be unwise. The Bolt has had its strongest sales yet in 2023, with a claimed 70% of Bolt customers trading in a non-GM vehicle.

Thus, the Chevrolet Bolt returns from the grave. The Bolt won’t be a ground-up all-new car, Barra says that they’re keeping development dollars low by focusing on updates. GM wants this car on the market relatively fast. The new Bolt will get some battery and technology updates from the Ultium platform, but it does not appear that the Bolt will ride on the GM Ultium platform.

This is very good news for affordable EV shoppers. The Chevy Bolt’s roughly $26,500 base price (not including destination) made it the most affordable long-range EV on the market. For many consumers, price is one of the biggest roadblocks to buying an EV and cutting ties with gasoline. The market really needs affordable electric vehicles.

Details of the new Chevy Bolt will come later this year.

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