The original Chevrolet Bolt, like many GM cars, never quite got the recognition it deserved. Despite its insanely low starting price and excellent range, people always seemed to overlook it in the affordable EV conversation (even though it sold pretty well up until its demise in 2023). I really hope that doesn’t happen this time around, because the new Bolt is more compelling than ever.
Before, you could get the Bolt either as a hatchback or a slightly bigger hatchback made to look like a crossover (Chevy called it the Bolt EUV). For 2027, the hatchback body has been dropped, with only the crossover body remaining. Chevy simply calls it the Bolt this time around, without the EV or EUV moniker.
Going by the proportions and the shape of the body, the new Bolt seems to be a very heavy refresh rather than an entirely new car. The biggest differences, visually, come at the front and rear fascias, which get different bumpers and updated lighting. The inside’s been given some updates, too. There’s an 11-inch instrument cluster for the driver and an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, according to InsideEVs (up 3.0 inches and 1.3 inches over the prior generation car). Other changes include the gear selector, which is now located on the right side steering column stalk, and a reconfigured center console.
There are more changes underneath the skin. The biggest is the switch to a NACS charging port, allowing it to be charged without an adapter at Tesla Supercharging stations (GM has had a deal with Tesla to support this function for the past year). GM hasn’t said anything about the battery tech or motor, but a Wall Street Journal report from earlier this year says the batteries will, initially, come from China. LG, which has a deal with GM, will start supplying U.S.-built packs from its Tennessee plant starting in 2027.
2027 Bolt
15th EV in GM’s Lineup
255 miles of GM Est. Range
10-80% in 26 minutes (GM claimed 3X Faster Charging than Outgoing Model)
Native NACS
Built in Kansas City
Launch Edition starting at $29,990
LT Trim coming later at $28,995#bolt @chevrolet @theEVgeek pic.twitter.com/02U1rAUqda— Sebastian ????⚡️ (@KilowattStation) October 9, 2025
The new Bolt will also charge much more quickly than the old car. Chevy says the 2027 Bolt can go from 10 to 80% charged in just 26 minutes, with a peak charging rate of 150 kW, nearly three times the old car’s 55 kW charging rate, according to InsideEVs. There’s no word on whether the Bolt will retain its single-motor, front-drive layout, but all signs point to that being the case. The car is reportedly now rated at 210 horsepower (10 more than before).
GM held a launch event for influencers yesterday, giving attendees an opportunity to see the car in person and sharing the two biggest details EV buyers care about: price and range. GM told guests that the new Bolt will be able to travel an estimated 255 miles on a charge, slightly better than the outgoing Bolt EUV’s 247 miles. That’s not exactly a mind-blowing number, but once you see the price, you’ll understand.
The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt Launch edition will start at $29,990, including destination, when it goes on sale early next year. Two months later, the base LT trim will begin production at GM’s Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas, starting at $28,995. That’ll make it the second-cheapest electric car you can get in America, being just a couple of thousand dollars more expensive than the new Nissan Leaf.
Interior shot of the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV: https://t.co/GvUBpbdx8n pic.twitter.com/oh9hpLdCfz
— ChargePozitive ⚡️➕ (@ChargePozitive) October 8, 2025
That means the new Bolt will only be $200 more expensive than the old one that left production two years ago, despite all the new tech and two years’ worth of inflation and tariff drama, which is pretty incredible. Of course, this is before you factor in the federal tax credits. Now that they’re gone, you could say the new Bolt is actually $7,700 more expensive.
Like the Bolts before it, this new one won’t be great at any one metric, but rather just a solid choice for those looking for an economical, usable EV on a budget. The new Bolt undercuts Tesla’s new cheapest car, the Model 3 Standard, by nearly $10,000 (though you do get a good deal more range with the Model 3). Which one you go for will depend on whether you care about things like power mirrors, which aren’t a thing on the Tesla.
Top graphic image: Chevrolet
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I think this is one of those rare times that GM didn’t step on their own dick and this looks good. I like the updated, but not completely redesigned, looks here too. Good work on them. Their EV work really is impressive to me and I hope they keep going with it despite the clown show in the White House right now.
Per other reports they removed Apple CarPlay, so I’d argue that there is at least some minor dick-steppage going on.
Ah yes, I forgot that they are doing that with their EVs. Yes, I would agree with you there then.
If I had a place to charge and if I hadn’t just bought a new hybrid, I’d take a serious look at the Bolt.
Out of curiosity, which hybrid did you get and why?
I love how GM went “oh you think you’re going to make a cheap EV, Tesla? This is how it’s done” and just did their event the same day.
I seem to remember Tesla timing the Model 3 announcement to step on the original Bolt launch, but at that point Elon didn’t even have a prototype to show and by the time Tesla opened the order books for delivery a year from then, there were Bolts on the lot ready to drive home that day.
Does it bother anyone else that GM invited “influencers” to the launch event instead of actual journalists? I guess that’s just where we are now
Yeah, a site like this should’ve gotten an invite rather than being stuck with using 3rd-party video. Unless David went and we’ll be getting a deep dive on the new battery tech and how exactly the Ultium-Bolt differs from the LG-Bolt in a week or so.
The influencers might’ve done more ‘unboxing’ type content while the journalists have a later embargo for their real reviews.
Can’t wait until Mercedes gets to put the Bolt through its paces.
If I had to guess that has to do with their marketing data about who their target customer is and the kind of marketing they respond to, in this case younger people who spend a lot of time online looking to buy their first EV, or maybe their first car.
Kept it cheap by putting in a smaller battery, which is offset by standardized NACS charging, meaning you can charge it anywhere, increasingly anywhere as more stations are build. I wouldn’t shy away from a cross country road trip.
Old Bolt had Apple CarPlay. New Bolt doesn’t. GM lost me.
Looking at the requirement for communications in my life (business and pleasure), my iPhone is very critical. Absence of CarPlay is an issue.
New Bolt doesn’t have Apple or Android integration.
I’m slightly more interested.
My phones are Western Electric and made from Bakelite in black, red, and turquoise. They are plugged into wall jacks in the house.
Now GM needs to figure out how to make a small pickup (like the old small Chevy Montana) based on the Bolt architecture. Then I’d really be interested.
I’ll never understand this take. If you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to. But the fact that GM doesn’t offer cell phone integration means that customers need to pay subscriptions to GM to replicate features like music and maps. Or else they will be juggling their phone in their hands while they’re driving.
Does it have Bluetooth you can play music and phone audio through?
If so, all you need then is a phone holder on the dash so you can see maps on your phone.
Not as convenient, but a worthy compromise if this checks all your other boxes.
I have an umbrella, so I can operate a crank starter without getting rained on. But that’s not really a “good enough” alternative to a starter.
Eliminating Android Auto from a car is straight up an enshittification issue, where GM is providing functionally equivalent service to having your phone on their screen by paying a subscription to their service.
What a melodramatic comparison. I agree GM’s approach is shitty but it’s not something you can’t work around with ease.
You’re right. I wouldn’t like the whole subscription thing. Probably why I don’t own a mobile phone. 🙂
I listen to music in our 2024 Trax using the radio and USB flash drives since the stereo won’t recognize my iPods and it doesn’t have a CD/MP3 player.
“this is before you factor in the federal tax credits. Now that they’re gone, you could say the new Bolt is actually $7,300 more expensive.”
If we want to play this game, why don’t we index the cost of the Bolt for inflation? If the old one had an MSRP of $28,795 in 2023, it would cost $31,182 in 2025 dollars. If we assume two percent inflation (which is probably lower than it actually will be), the 2023 would cost $32,441 in hypothetical 2027 dollars. So after that it is closer to $3,646 more expensive.
This is why I was not fond of the tax credit. You were never getting $7,500 off since manufacturers factored the credit in when pricing their vehicles. Now that it is gone, we will see what EVs actually cost. And those who don’t qualify for the tax credit will stop getting ripped off.
I feel like styling the Bolt to look like a posh Chevy Spark continues to be a mistake.
But, what do I know, as GM killed off the Volt rather quickly and I quite like the look of that one.
I seriously considered both the Volt and Bolt but after examining in person I just could not get over how cheap and chintzy they felt and looked.
On paper the new Bolt seems solid. History tells me GM will yank it prematurely, again.
For those that will compare this with the Nissan Leaf longer range and similar pricing:
Am I going to replace my 23 Bolt EUV with this? No, its basically the same car dimensions wise and features, I dont road trip, fast charging is not a requirement for my commuter cars.
They had me at manual door handles.
I feel like this will really open up the possibilities.
Don’t forget the manual glove box latch, as well!
The Leaf is only a little more, but then an Equinox EV only starts a little more than that and is a much roomier vehicle so I think GM’s in a good spot with this approach.
Good news for the fleet side of things too. I noticed a lot of Bolts pop up in government facility parking lots around me in its final couple years.
That definitely won’t be happening in the next 3 years.
It’ll depend on the government in question. Local governments in blue states will definitely keep purchasing EV’s for non-truck things.
True – a US-built, low-maintenance/cost-to-own vehicle at a low price should still find appeal with any fleet department despite whatever optics they want to chase (emphasis on should). They did take EV out of the official name so not as obvious at the jump.
Still has the worst brake light placement in the industry.
Those look like reflectors in the bumper.
Now that I look closer you may be right. That is where the brake lights are on the previous model. If they fixed that, they addressed one of the biggest gripes I had.
It was so weird when they did that. My 2019 is not like that, it was post-refresh models that moved them to the bumper.
It looks that way to me as well, hopeful that is the case. The rear lights are clearly different from the old one so it’s not like they just dusted off the old parts there. Seemed like even a lot of owners fussed about it online too, so the existing base didn’t like it.
Seriously that was the #1 thing I hated about my Bolt.
If I didn’t hate Garbage Motors so much, I’d be tempted to purchase one of these. Great deal for people who don’t travel large distances.
Hey more choice in this segment is never a bad thing, but I find the new Leaf more compelling. The new Bolt lacks V2L (no 120v outlets anywhere on the thing) and CarPlay, which will immediately be a no-go for a large segment of the population that will actually look at this thing.
The Leaf does V2L by plugging an adapter into the AC port. Maybe this could do the same? Unless you’re talking about 120v access for charging inside the car.
I believe the new Leaf has a 120v outlet inside the car as well. For the Bolt, the only thing mentioned was V2H “with compatible GM Power products”, which makes me think there won’t be a generic adapter…
For only $1.5k more, the 3rd gen Nissan Leaf S+ trim comes with a larger 75kWh battery that’ll get ~300mi of range, and will definitely outrange the Bolt with its better aerodynamics.
The Bolt appears to have far more buttons in the interior, and likely better rear headroom and cargo area height; we don’t know about cargo volume yet, though.
There’s also the advantages and disadvantages of the Bolt using an LFP battery chemistry, which is more forgiving to deep charging but has pretty awful cold weather performance compared to NMC.
Since it’s pretty much the same car, I’d bet that the interior dimensions are pretty much the same as well.
The Leaf and Bolt have 20 and 16.6 cuft or 55.5 and 56.6 cuft with the seats down, respectively. I’d say the Leaf wins for regular shopping where you just want the most flat surface area in the rear so you don’t have to stack things. I couldn’t find headroom numbers in my brief search.
This is the perfect amount of car for probably 50% of people or even more. 250 miles of range ain’t that impressive but the NACS port means it’s roadtrip-able on any major highway in the US, so the range isn’t really a big deal. It has plenty of interior space due to the packaging, I think it’s perfectly decent looking, and coming in at just under $30,000 is unfortunately what affordable looks like in 2025.
I’m sure there will be money on the hoods and low interest financing soon enough as well. The Bolt was always a perfectly cromulent appliance and it remains a perfectly cromulent appliance. I will also give major points to GM *out crowd of proud GM soldiers in the comments collectively rejoice* for refusing to make their EVs tech monstrosities.
Just look at that interior! There are buttons on the steering wheel, dials for climate control, I assume the audio volume is controlled by this incredible, groundbreaking technology known as a knob…this is the case in all the GM EVs too! Even the Cadillacs have traditional controls for everything.
Contrary to what the C suite thinks this is what customers actually want…an EV with zero learning curve. Anyone can hop in one of these and drive it without issue, not to mention electric motors are way better and more refined than the average wheezy economy car 3 or 4 cylinder anyway. I’m happy to see GM is still pushing forward with BEVs despite all the culture war BS because someone has to.
Likely the biggest flaw for the ‘normal’ crowd is the LFP battery, which has pretty awful cold weather performance; capacity starts to drop below 0°C/32°F and it can have significantly reduced output at only -15°C/5°F, and almost bricks until reheated at around -25°C/-13°F. It also generally won’t charge until it can heat itself back above 0°C/32°F. NMC batteries also suffer in the cold, but their thresholds are generally ~10°C lower than LFP’s making the problem less severe.
Our savior, the Sodium-ion battery, cannot come soon enough. They only lose 3-5% capacity at -40°C/F with similar cost and density to LFP.
Edit: the biggest flaw other than the lack of Carplay
This at least has a heat pump standard for mitigate some of the cold weather issues while we wait for better battery chemistry
Won’t work well in International Falls, MN. Got it. For the rest of the country it’ll work more or less fine.
LFP is arguably the best current “normie” EV battery tech. It doesn’t much care about charge state so folks can charge to 100% without worry. Unlike NMC which really, really prefers not to be fully charged or discharged.
Yeah it definitely has a convenience advantage with its more durable nature, but it is still better for LFP to stay under 80%.
The temperature problem will affect anywhere that gets single digit morning low temperatures at least few times a year, which is a lot of the Midwest and Northeast including Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Boston, Detroit, etc, plus all of Canada apart from Vancouver. This is something enthusiasts will know about and work around, but normies who don’t park indoors may be caught unaware. It’s a great chemistry for a lot of warmer places and is why China is dominating, but even with their generous subsidies and strong policy support, the colder northern parts of China have pretty low EV adoption rates because of the temperature issue.
To be pedantic, NMC cells don’t mind charging to 100%; they mind sitting at 100% for extended periods (especially when warm). If you program your car to finish charging to 100% at 8am, and depart at 8am, no issue. I do this when traveling cross-country.
There is some nuance to your statement — all those temperatures are battery cell temps, which are impacted by but not the same as ambient temperatures. If you are plugged it, can use wall power to keep the battery warmer much like an engine block heater & 12V battery blanket. If you’re driving, some energy goes to keeping the battery warm (which obviously impacts range, but keeps you above a performance limited zone of the battery).
Not arguing cold temps aren’t a challenge with LFPs and have a real impact on range. If you live somewhere with real winters and can’t plug in overnight, it’s a non-starter. In extremely cold places, not having workplace charging (which most people don’t) you will lose battery charge keeping the battery warm or preconditioning. But overall, I think this context is important to go with your statement because it’s not like you can’t own an EV if it ever gets below 32F, or if you live somewhere that gets below -13F the car will brick itself the second the ambient temp gets that low.
Definitely agree. But it will take some education that I fear the mainstream masses won’t get, which might result in people unfairly writing off EVs and spreading the word.
I can already imagine unreliable software causing the car to ‘forget’ to warm the battery on the one cold morning it’s needed and making someone late to work. Hopefully GM forcing users to not use smartphone mirroring means they’ve put some effort into some good charge/heating scheduling.
Why did they even bother?! It looks like the same damned car! I have never in my life seen a car model get discontinued and then come back a few years later looking exactly the same. From a brand and advertising perspective its a huge miss. Nobody else on the road will know GM reintroduced the model and assume they’re just the older ones.
Stellantis Minivans? Also, bringing it back with minor changes was definitely the “Cheap, Fast” option of “Cheap, Fast, Good, pick two” decision set. And it’s cheap, and it’ll probably sell a few. I’d love to see this compared head-to-head with the new leaf.
Technically not discontinued and brought back, but I thought of the long shelf life of some bodystyles have had: Chrysler vans like you said, Sienna, current Odyssey, old Frontier, 2nd gen Tacoma, 4Runner…I don’t think that will make much difference for the Bolt. I don’t know that the general public would even know it was really discontinued.
I don’t know that the general public remembers a previous version existed at all.
I think you could put an example of pre- and post-facelift original, prior EUV, and the 2027 all in a row and ask “Real People. Not Actors” to guess which one is the newest – and get all different answers from each.
Don’t forget the Nissan Sentra that was the backbone of Mexican Taxi companies! That body style persisted alongside I think 3 newer generations of Sentra.
The Tsuru! Such an interesting car that way
I’d wager anyone shopping in this segment cares more about price, range, and charging time than they do about it not being some groundbreaking styling exercise.
GM made the right call here.
It’s substantially less ugly than the Bolt in my driveway.
I mean, the same damned car is exactly what people were clamoring for. The original Bolt was selling quite well when GM killed it, and the outcry over that is what convinced them to make a new one. If the biggest complaint anyone has is that it’s not different, then it’s going to be a home run for GM.
GM was selling 60K a year when it was discontinued in 2023. It should sell better today with the lower (real) price and upgraded spec.
Why bring an updated version back? The Equinox was going to be the replacement but inflation moved the price past that magical $30K mark. A modest facelift + a big upgrade in charge speed gives GM a competative EV with the MSRP starting with a 2
“That means the new Bolt will only be $200 more expensive than the old one that left production two years ago, despite all the new tech and two years’ worth of inflation and tariff drama, which is pretty incredible. Of course, this is before you factor in the federal tax credits. Now that they’re gone, you could say the new Bolt is actually $7,300 more expensive.”
There’s something wrong here. If it’s $200 more now compared to then, it should be $7700 more without the incentive. Or maybe it was $200 less now compared to then, it would be $7300 more now.
Math! But that’s only if you were able to claim the tax credit. For a purchase, I didn’t qualify, so it was only a consideration for leasing.
Good news was that I qualified for the credit. Bad news was that I didn’t have the money to consider a new car because I qualified for the credit.
My 2019 is a great car. I’ve never driven the EUV version but the guts are pretty much identical. 3x faster charging would fix the car’s biggest problem, which is that I won’t take it on road trips. An 8 hour drive in my car becomes 10 hours when you factor the stops.
A buddy of mine just traded in his 2020 EUV for an EVquinox after a rough road-trip experience (it went fine, basically as planned, but he got annoyed with cars pulling up after him and leaving before him). It probably wouldn’t have swayed him by itself (having another kid on the way was certainly a consideration) but the tax credit going away, plus GM cash, plus Costco discount made the EVquinox a $25k car with more range and faster charging.
Yeah I’d absolutely consider one of those if my Bolt or Volt knock off early. Having the Volt means I just take that car if I’m going anywhere further than like one charge stop will get me.
Same for me. I have a 2017 with the 66 kWh replacement battery. It is a commuter, city, and regional car. I don’t take it for trips more than about 250 miles. It still accumulated more miles than our others cars though because if we are within the battery range that is the car we are taking. SOOO cheap to operate at less than 3 cents per mile for electricity.
Right, it’s the perfect car for households that have more than one and access to home charging.
Love to see it, since the first gen was a great car.
I had a 2020 Bolt, which replaced a 2018 VW GTI. It felt just as fast, and that linear throttle response made it more fun overall.
With the driving I typically do, the range estimate was always higher than the GM/EPA stated ranges. It’s a very efficient motor if you drive it right.
I sold it during the poorly handled battery fire situation, but if they have their technical issues sorted, this is a great buy.
Also I hope they bring back fun colors. I think the 2019s had a sweet neon green, and later they had a cool turquoise.
The blue in the topshot looks good too, especially with those silver wheels.
Knobs, buttons, and switches in an interior of a car under $30k
I drove one of the originals when I was last shopping and it was exactly what I thought an EV should be. Not flashy, not faux-lux, just…. a commuter/grocery getter that wasn’t crazy expensive and drove normally.
Had I gone EV it’s the choice I would have made (especially with the certified used copies going for cheap).
I tried so hard to get one in the last days of the previous iteration but there were so few on the ground in my area I couldn’t grab one. With GM’s discounts and the state+fed credits, it would have been $18K for me before tax/tags.
This looks like ass. I’m sure it’s a great car, but, come on. Who’s signing off on these designs? Paula Dean?
Bear in mind that Spark started its life as Daewoo Matiz…
At least it didn’t start as a Ssangyong Rodius.
This is exactly what the market needs. An actually affordable EV. It’s practical, has good range, and the fact that the charging speed is now triple what it was originally is excellent news. I do wish it had more range, but again: it’s under 30k. If the tax credit was still around, this would be a crazy good lease deal. (Since the battery isn’t made in the US for now, it wouldn’t have been eligible for the purchase tax credit until it comes out with that US made battery). I just wish they were still making the EV body style, and not the EUV. The EUV always looked a little weird to me in comparison to the EV.
Still: this is good news. Good job on GM for sticking with affordable EVs.
Agree on the body style. I also preferred the Bolt hatchback. I get why Chevy didn’t want to offer two versions this time around. Not sure what the take rate was on the two models in the years they overlapped, but if I were to hazard a guess, the EUV probably outsold the EV in those years. Hope this one proves popular to encourage more manufacturers to engage in this segment.
The EUV’s design is also several years newer and the body dies were probably barely broken-in and nowhere near amortized.
Once the “new” face debuted in 2022 I thought it worked on the EUV and looked grafted onto the EV in an unpleasant way. The old face, ’17-21 I thought looked good on the EV.