Car and Driver magazine named the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt the 2026 EV of the Year for its low price and high performance.
But that level of popularity won’t save the subcompact electric vehicle.
Despite the upgrades from past models and rave reviews, the car is still planned for a limited run, which will last 18 months at General Motors’ Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas before it is replaced by production of the gas-powered Equinox starting in 2027 and the next generation Buick Envision it currently makes in China in 2028.
Chevy’s petite and popular EV returned to market this year with a cost-effective lithium-iron phosphate battery and $30,000 price point.
Upgraded batteries, software and motors bring the vehicle up to date with GM’s newer EVs like the GMC Hummer, Chevrolet Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq, and rely on GM’s proprietary Ultium propulsion system. The Bolt uses the same motor as the Chevrolet Equinox with an output of 210 horsepower.
Tony Quiroga, editor in chief of Car and Driver, said in a statement the Bolt’s value placed it ahead of its peers.
“For $28,995 the Bolt offers the range, charging capability, available technology, and practicality that will make it easy for buyers to make the switch from gas to EV,” Quiroga said. “It makes us smile because it’s fun to drive and provides the deep satisfaction of getting more car than you paid for.”
Strong sales amid EV slowdown
In the second quarter, GM sold 3,433 Chevrolet Bolts, up from 791 it sold in the first quarter when production began. Those figures may be strong for today’s market, but may not come close to what the old Bolt was able to pull, according to Sean Tucker, managing editor of Kelly Blue Book, which is owned by Cox Automotive.
Bolt sales average between 1,400 and 1,600 per month, according to Kelley Blue Book, which is pretty good for a market without federal tax incentives. The Bolt either leads sales for the segment or comes in second, trading places back and forth with the new Toyota CHR. Sales are well above the Nissan Leaf, which Tucker considers more natural competition for the Bolt.
But low volumes may be a new normal for the segment. Tucker said if the current sales trends continue, Bolt sales would likely reach just 28,800 vehicles sold within the planned 18 months of production.
In 2022, sales reached 64,322 vehicles, for smaller Bolts and EUVs.
“They’re not going to come anywhere close to sales of the old Bolt,” Tucker said. “But I think demand for a subcompact electric vehicle is relatively low right now.”
The average transaction cost for the Bolt from January through June 2026 was $31,006, according to Kelley Blue Book data. The average days in dealership inventory in the second quarter was 54.6 days.
So why cancel the vehicle?
Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry, called the decision “stupid.”
“Why even bother to build it again if you’re only going to do it for 18 months? It makes no sense. For all the reengineering work. It’s stupid,” he said. “It’s reasonably roomy. It’s affordable. Consumers will maybe see the benefit of a car like this if interest rates stay high. This can keep the monthly payments down.”
Another huge bonus for the Bolt is its the only vehicle priced around $30,000 built in the United States, Abuelsamid said. Many similarly priced vehicles like the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Envista are built in South Korea. If GM were to continue building this vehicle it would reinforce its commitment to affordable electrification and affordable American-made vehicles.
Why the Bolt stands out
Meanwhile, part of what distinguishes the Bolt launch is the approach GM has taken to building it.
Fairfax Assembly, the first GM factory in North America to use this strategy, builds Bolts in batches of 30 of the same color and trim level. That uniformity allows for more consistency and fewer errors as the company worked to quickly scale short-term production.
“But I don’t think this car is about sales for GM,” Tucker said. “They’re using it to experiment with new methods of building.”
In a typical car factory, he said, cars coming down the line may be one make but with different content, for example a green Bolt with an eight-speaker stereo may be followed by a blue Bolt with a 12-speaker stereo followed by a red Bolt with eight-speaker stereo again. By reducing the number of times line workers need to switch out parts and double check the content of a model heading down the line, it could reduce errors and allow the line to move faster.
Moving faster and saving costs when it comes to electric vehicle production is vital, Tucker said. According to the International Energy Agency, about one in four cars sold globally is electric. In the United States, it’s closer to 6%.
”How do you compete in both markets? You have to get good at electric cars, you have to remain good at non-electric cars,” Tucker said. “Right now, it’s about what they can learn from (the Bolt).”
But even as a dry run for future EVs, the Bolt still has fans.
Car and Driver’s 2026 EV of the Year ballot had 25 of the newest electric car models from 14 different automakers, according to the magazine. The Bolt won out against competitors Audi A6 e-tron, Cadillac Escalade IQL, Cadillac Optiq, Dodge Charger Daytona 4-Door, GMC Sierra EV, Lexus ES350e, Lexus ES500e, Lexus RZ550e, Lucid Gravity Touring, Mercedes-Benz CLA250+, Nissan Leaf, Polestar 4, Porsche Macan GTS Electric, Subaru Solterra, Subaru Trailseeker, Subaru Uncharted, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model Y Performance, Toyota bZ, Toyota bZ Woodland, and Toyota C-HR.
“The ’27 Bolt’s comprehensive glow-up couldn’t come at a better time. America doesn’t need another hyper-powered, hyper-expensive EV. This Chevy does something no other EV in our market has before: It democratizes modern battery-electric powertrain technology at a sub-$30K price while also offering the core creature comforts modern consumers expect,” Car and Driver surmised. “The fact that Chevy pins a $28,995 price to an EV with a spacious and versatile cabin, solid real-world driving range, spirited dynamics, and a general ease of use makes the ’27 Bolt the right EV for right now.”
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Popularity won’t be enough to save the 2027 Chevy Bolt. What’s ahead
Reporting by Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
