GM has unveiled the brand new model of the Chevy Bolt, its in style, inexpensive EV with an upgraded battery and an in any other case very related package deal to its final iteration, and we’re on the scene at a particular occasion for Bolt homeowners at Common Studios Hollywood to get you all the information you want.
The Chevy Bolt was initially launched within the 2017 mannequin 12 months. It was GM’s first actual, trendy effort at an EV, designed to be all-electric fairly than a compliance automobile just like the outdated Chevy Spark EV. (GM did beforehand design the EV1 from the bottom up, but it surely got here alongside earlier than the lithium ion period of EVs, and was decidedly a compliance automobile).
It was additionally an ideal automobile. Not solely was it a superb dimension not like the ridiculous land yachts we’re seeing so a lot of at this time, it had an outstanding worth, particularly close to the top of the mannequin’s life. It was ok to be Electrek’s car of the 12 months for 2022.
However, as a result of an prolonged recall and since the Bolt used GM’s first-gen EV platform, fairly than its whiz-bang new “Ultium” system, GM retired the car in late 2023, though it was having its finest gross sales 12 months ever.
However, that wasn’t the top for the mannequin. After declaring the Bolt useless however earlier than ending manufacturing on it, GM stated that it will convey again an Ultium-based Chevy Bolt (which our writer Seth Weintraub has taken to calling the “Boltium”).
And now, it’s lastly time for the official unveiling, and we’re readily available at Common Studios Hollywood for a “Bolt Block Social gathering” displaying off the brand new car.
Meet the brand new Bolt, identical because the outdated Bolt
When Chevy retired the Bolt and stated they might convey it again later, we anticipated it to be related, however maybe not this related. From the outside, the brand new Bolt and the outdated Bolt EUV are almost indistinguishable.
The entrance fascia is barely modified with a black line between the headlights and no black border across the pretend grille, and the rear has totally different taillights (positioned greater up, a giant demand from Bolt homeowners), and barely extra paint on the bumper. That’s about it. However we knew all that already, after seeing it charging in public final week.
Now we’re getting info on the inside and specs, that are the juicy updates we had been hoping to listen to modifications on.
GM hasn’t publicized 0-60 instances but, however the Bolt will use the identical motor because the Equinox EV, which provides 210hp. That’s about the identical because the earlier Bolt, and it weighs the same quantity, so we’re imagining related efficiency because the 6-ish seconds 0-60 of the earlier Bolt – peppy and greater than sufficient for any each day wants, however not a sportscar.
Particularly, the unique Bolt’s foremost technical limitation was its low DC cost velocity. It maxed out at 50kW, however usually was even slower than that. In a world the place many automobiles can now cost at 200kW+ speeds, the brand new Bolt wanted an replace.
Fortunately, it received one. The brand new Bolt is now able to a 150kW cost fee, with a 10-80% cost in 26 minutes. GM says that is about thrice sooner than the earlier technology.
This is because of a brand new 65kWh LFP battery, using GM’s Ultium EV platform. The earlier Bolt used LG cells, and was constructed earlier than GM developed Ultium. This led the Bolt to be the one car in GM’s EV steady on a distinct know-how, and is what necessitated its retirement and retooling.
Not solely does the Bolt cost sooner, it additionally has new discharging capabilities… within the type of bidirectional charging. The brand new Bolt helps GM Power’s V2H dwelling merchandise, and may offload energy at 9.6kW(!).
Nonetheless, when it comes to V2L onboard energy, there are not any 120V plugs out there, your solely choices to energy units are the included USB-C ports (2 entrance knowledge+energy, 2 rear energy solely).
The brand new battery additionally presents 255 miles of vary (GM estimate). That’s a bit greater than earlier than, which is sweet, plus you may cost to 100% each night time as a result of it’s LFP. However the DC cost speeds are actually the larger story right here. Quicker DC cost charges allow extra seamless roadtrips.
Additional enabling these roadtrips is the Bolt’s new NACS port, permitting it to make use of the Tesla Supercharger community. An adapter remains to be out there to make use of on CCS networks, however Superchargers are usually a greater expertise, and the entire business is shifting in that route at this level.
One other main change is within the Bolt’s software program. The earlier one had CarPlay, however this one received’t.
Lots of people are sad about that, and I perceive the unhappiness. Folks have gotten used to CarPlay (or Android Auto), and many folks like it, as a result of it’s so a lot better than the software program from no matter 2010s-era car they got here from. Infotainment techniques have been horrendous in automobiles for a very long time.
Nonetheless, I argue that these phone-based automobile UIs aren’t really that nice. They’re inherently generic, and unable to be tied deeply into car features in a means that gives a single coherent interface. That’s why I really appreciated the UI within the Blazer EV, GM’s first implementation of its post-CarPlay answer, and proceed to suppose that GM made an appropriate selection right here.
So, I do suppose the Bolt UI will prove okay. GM could take some time to iron out some kinks, however in the long run, I feel this answer is healthier, and can allow over-the-air updates which saves time and hassle for everybody.
It additionally has out there SuperCruise as an possibility, and occurs to be the second car in GM’s steady that has entry to the brand new “route following” function, beforehand solely out there on the Cadillac Vistiq, which is able to change lanes and take freeway interchanges for you. Fairly neat for the most affordable EV in GM’s lineup to get a Cadillac function at the start else does.
The inside has had a refresh with bigger show, added ambient lighting, and cupholders which could be rearranged to accommodate bigger cups. It additionally has extra sprint storage for passengers. And it nonetheless has a bodily quantity knob and HVAC buttons.
Rear cargo area is identical because the outgoing Bolt EUV (together with fairly a big underfloor storage space) at 16 cubic toes with the seats up, or 57 with the seats down. By the way, with the seats down, that is really the identical quantity of cargo area because the Equinox EV, which is 20 inches longer than the Bolt. Fairly a feat of packaging effectivity right here.
Lastly, and maybe most significantly, worth and availability. Chevy says the automobile will launch within the early months of 2026 with an RS trim at round $32k, and an LT consolation package deal at $29,990. Later, there’ll an LT trim with base worth $28,995 – and all of these embody vacation spot prices, that are normally round $1k, in order that’s the true worth you’ll pay. That’s fairly a sexy worth, and as of proper now, makes it the most affordable EV introduced in America.
Fast first drive impressions
We received an opportunity to get behind the wheel in a very, very restricted capability on the Common Studios backlot. So, solely low-speed driving, and just for a really quick quantity of drive time.
However in that quick period of time, we didn’t discover any specific points with the drive expertise. The Bolt has entry to numerous drive modes, together with a customizable “My Mode” the place you may set totally different steering weight, brake really feel, acceleration really feel, and switch pretend motor sounds on or off.
The regenerative braking system isn’t precisely the identical because the outdated Bolt, which we thought of one among that car’s strengths (and maybe the very best regen system out there in the marketplace). Its system is extra like different present GM choices, with choices for “low” or “excessive” one-pedal mode, or to only use blended brakes.
We saved regen on “excessive” and acceleration to “sport” for the quick drive, and had been happy with how the automobile felt to drive. The regen might need taken only a tiny bit longer to ramp up than I’d have appreciated, however the throttle response was as peppy as I’d need, given the 210hp out there. A little bit extra energy could be good, but it surely’s a commuter automobile and didn’t really feel wanting for energy in any respect.
With regen on excessive, the automobile would come to a whole cease with out urgent the brake pedal. It did this easily and with out concern, even on hills. Curiously sufficient, that is one thing that the Bolt, a $30k automobile, performs higher at than the Porsche Macan EV, an $80k+ automobile, which got here to a cease much less easily than the Bolt did. Nicely performed, GM.
We couldn’t actually inform a lot about dealing with on our quick backlot drive, or consolation on tough roads (apart from the 200 toes of cobblestone we drove on at a velocity of
Electrek’s Take
One fascinating factor about this unveiling is its timing – or fairly, the timing of one other unveiling which occurred nearly 24 hours in the past. That’s when Tesla lastly took the wraps off its long-promised “extra inexpensive” EV, which turned out to only be a stripped-down model of its Mannequin 3/Y with a nonetheless disappointingly-high $37k-$40k base worth.
Tesla’s timing for that announcement might have been an try to steal the wind from the Bolt’s sails, however given the pricing of that car in comparison with this one, we’re pondering that there is probably not a lot cannibalization.
My foremost disappointment within the Bolt is that the brand new mannequin is predicated on the EUV model, fairly than the EV model. The earlier iteration of the Bolt initially got here in a smaller model dubbed the EV, with a six-inches-longer EUV model coming later. The EV really offered in greater numbers than the EUV all through the mannequin’s life, but it surely was additionally out there for longer.
However when Chevy introduced it will convey again the Bolt, it stated the brand new model could be EUV-only. On the time I discovered this folly, and I nonetheless do. We want smaller vehicles, not bigger ones. Whereas the EUV remains to be a extra reasonably-sized car than virtually anything on the highway, I’m nonetheless disenchanted that it’s shifting within the mistaken route so far as dimension goes.
However, within the present US surroundings the place everybody appears decided to make utilizing roads as unsafe as attainable, the EUV remains to be smaller than the overwhelming majority of vehicles out there
And the value, nicely, that’s actually the kicker. After republicans raised the value of each EV by $7,500 throughout an affordability disaster, with unwise tariffs additionally inflating shopper costs on the identical time, it’s getting tougher to purchase a car.
However the Bolt now joins the fray as one of the inexpensive EVs on the market, alongside the brand new Nissan Leaf which is able to price underneath 30k (and even much less, as soon as a future lower-spec trim is introduced), and considerably cheaper than different low-ish-priced EVs just like the Equinox EV, Ioniq 5, and the aforementioned “extra inexpensive” customary Mannequin 3/Y.
That’s a giant deal, and it makes the brand new Bolt the same calculation as when it earned Electrek’s Car of the Yr. However now, it doesn’t even have the primary draw back it had on the time – its low DC cost fee, and battery questions throughout what was a messy recall. Each of these issues had been solved right here, leaving a calculation with few downsides.
We haven’t pushed the automobile but, although we’ll get a couple of minutes in it later within the occasion. But it surely’s solely going to be across the block on the Common backlot, so we will’t give a full overview, however from what we’ve seen at this time, it appears like fairly a sexy worth proposition.
We’re nonetheless on the occasion proper now for the subsequent few hours, so when you’ve received any questions that you simply’d like us to verify on or relay to GM workers, tell us within the feedback and we’ll see if we will get some solutions (particularly you Bolt homeowners). And, we simply received all this information, so we’ll be updating this text as we digest extra.
Replace: To reply a couple of of your questions: it does have a warmth pump, it does have a rear torsion bar (no rear multi-link suspension), it does nonetheless make an annoying “bong bong bong” sound each time the door is open and there’s no solution to flip it off, and it does have bidirectional V2H functionality (at 9.6kW!!! on the most affordable EV in America! Wow!) and is appropriate with GM Power’s dwelling merchandise
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