The Chevrolet Bolt is having its greatest gross sales 12 months ever—proper in time for it to get canceled. However Common Motors is responding to the immense recognition of the pair of compact electrical automobiles by releasing a closely up to date Bolt with more advanced hardware in 2025. And when it does, solely the bigger Bolt EUV will likely be on the menu.
GM officers confirmed to InsideEVs this week that the upcoming next-generation Bolt will likely be EUV-only, citing the overwhelming recognition of the crossover mannequin over the smaller Bolt EV. “We’re glad to see the passion surrounding the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt. We are going to share particulars as we get nearer to its launch date,” a GM spokesperson added. “We’re excited, as the brand new Bolt will construct on the method that has made it the success it’s immediately.”
That success is clearly pointing within the route of the crossover mannequin. Although GM would not escape the gross sales figures between the Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV, it is typically believed the latter is outselling the previous about two-to-one.
Between January and September, Chevrolet offered 49,494 examples of each fashions mixed, a staggering 125% improve from the identical interval in 2022. By an especially vast margin, the Bolt twins have been GM’s most popular EVs, particularly because it has sometimes struggled to scale up manufacturing for next-generation EVs on the Ultium platform just like the Cadillac Lyriq, Hummer EV and Silverado EV.
However this 12 months, scores of consumers had been drawn to the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV due to its low price ticket being additional minimize by the brand new Inflation Discount Act’s electrical tax credit. Between federal and state tax credit, in addition to supplier reductions, many Bolt fashions had been acquired within the $20,000 realm—not unhealthy in any respect for an EV with a good 259- or 247-mile vary, relying on measurement.
On the identical time, the Bolt is getting outdated. The smaller one first debuted manner again in 2016 and was joined by the compact EUV crossover in 2022. It is just able to 55 kW DC quick charging, making it far much less fast so as to add vary than extra trendy rivals. Furthermore, the Bolt’s older battery setup was said to be long unprofitable, resulting in its cancellation earlier this 12 months.
However GM shortly reversed that call, citing the automotive’s recognition, and mentioned the following Bolt would as a substitute use the Ultium batteries and architecture underpinning other new EVs—thus permitting it to be scaled up profitably.
GM officers, together with CEO Mary Barra, have mentioned the following Bolt won’t be a clean-sheet redesign however moderately an up to date model of the present automotive with lower-cost LFP batteries, sooner charging, extra superior lively security options and different important upgrades. However the plan is to maintain the next-gen Bolt across the identical degree of pricing, which is sweet information, as excessive EV prices are regularly seen as a significant barrier to wider adoption.
In any case, given the Bolt EUV’s success with crossover-crazy Individuals, it is no marvel that GM would choose to go along with that physique model because the automotive’s sole Ultium-based successor. If the automaker can maintain true to that declare across the low price ticket, it would virtually definitely have one other main hit on its arms.
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