Chevrolet Bolt EV Isn't Dead: It Will Return with Ultium Batteries

Aug 19, 2023

Chevy announced in April that the current Bolt was ending production after 2023, but the automaker has now confirmed a second generation for the EV.

The Chevrolet Bolt nameplate will live on, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced today during an earnings conference call. This contradicts earlier reports that the Bolt was dead after 2023, with GM stating in April that the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan where the Bolt is built was transitioning to building electric trucks like the Silverado EV next year.

Now we know that the Bolt will receive a second generation, and Chevrolet is promising that the electric hatchback will continue to pack modern tech and a solid electric range into an affordable package. Although the Bolt was always among the cheapest EVs, price cuts for 2023 saw the MSRP drop to $27,495. Sales rebounded from a controversial battery recall in 2021, with 38,120 units finding homes in 2022 for the Bolt's best sales year yet. So far, 2023 is going strong, with 33,659 Bolts delivered through the first half.

The current Bolt, first launched in 2017, is built on the BEV2 platform, developed with a helping hand from LG, which also manufactured the Bolt's battery pack. Since then, GM and LG Energy Solution have collaborated on a new battery platform, Ultium, that is already found in the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV and will also underpin the Silverado EV.

Barra confirmed that the next-generation Bolt will utilize the Ultium platform, which the company says should help the Bolt badge return to market "on an accelerated timeline," although the specific timing won't be announced until later. We expect the second-gen Bolt to arrive for the 2025 model year, and while Chevy didn't specify whether the slightly bigger Bolt EUV will be back, it mostly likely will if crossover sales continue to dominate the market.

Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.

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