The Chevrolet Bolt lived a troubled life, but the electric hatchback found redemption in its third act thanks to revamped government incentives, a lower base price, and the addition of a more practical EUV variant. These developments resulted in record sales but, just as the model was finally hitting its stride, GM CEO Mary Barra announced the Bolt would go out of production by the end of the year.
The news wasn’t completely unexpected as the Bolt was launched in 2016 and rode on the older BEV2 platform. At the time, officials suggested the model would effectively be replaced by the Equinox EV which arrives this fall for around $30,000.
Driven: The New Chevrolet Bolt EUV Is An Electric Super Cruiser
However, that might not be the only option as Barra implied a second-generation Bolt could be on the horizon. As noticed by Electrek, the executive appeared on NPR’s Marketplace and said she “absolutely love” driving the Bolt EUV. The host then asked why GM was phasing it out. Barra replied that it uses “second-generation technology” and their “third-generation [platform], which is Ultium, is a 40% reduction in battery costs.”
That’s more or less what we already knew, but Barra went on to say “You know, [the] Bolt is something that has built up a lot of loyalty and equity. So I can’t say more because I don’t discuss future product programs.” That seems to imply GM is working on a new Bolt and the executive went on to call it an “important vehicle in our portfolio.”
While there’s no word on when we could see a new Bolt, GM has promised to introduce 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2025. We’ve already seen a number from Chevrolet including the Blazer EV, Equinox EV and Silverado EV. However, the brand has also promised “low roof entries” and it’s possible a new Bolt could be among them.
