GM today made it clear they've heard the public outcry, and will no longer discontinue their least expensive and most popular EV: the Chevy Bolt.
Instead, GM is going to revamp the Bolt with its newer Ultium battery architecture, which is the tech powering GM's other EVs like the Lyriq, Equinox EV, Hummer EV and Silverado EV. This heart transplant should make the Bolt a much more competitive car, and while no stats have been released about the next version we suspect it will improve our biggest criticism of the Bolt: its charge speed.
When Chevy gave the Bolt a refresh in 2022 and introduced the car's tip-toed sibling the Bolt EUV, they didn't do anything to improve how fast the cars charge at the fast plugs. Now in 2023, the Bolt is among the slowest charging EVs on the market, with a peak charge rate of just 55kW. The other GM products featuring Ultium battery tech have at least 150kW, a big improvement. This is important, as the Bolt is the affordable EV entry point for a lot of people, but the slower charge speed means it's more inconvenient to drive long distances (for both the driver and the EV that might be waiting to use the plug the Bolt is charging on) and less feasible to own as a condo or apartment dweller who relies on public charging.
And so the beloved Bolt will live to see another day, and another battery. No word yet on if this improved tech will impact the Bolt's attractive price, but we'll be sure to keep you posted when details become available.
