GM is answering the call of affordable EVs with the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt. That's right—the Bolt is back, baby, and although it may not look that different from when we last saw it in 2023, this resurrected model sees some big upgrades inside and underneath. More importantly, the Bolt's cheap.
It's really too bad GM is killing it off again next year. What are we even doing?!
What's new for 2026 2027?
This year—or next year, whatever you prefer—marks the return of Chevrolet's even-more-affordable EV. The electric Equinox had a pretty good handle on this, coming in at $46,199 for a base, front-wheel-drive model with 513 kilometres of range. But for 2027, and seemingly for 2027 only, the Bolt returns with an under-forty-grand price tag and more than 400 km of range. Talk about a good deal.
Further enhancements for the Bolt's 2027 rebirth include a mild facelift—this "new" one is based off what was then known as the Bolt EUV—on the outside, a new interior on the, well, inside, and upgraded electric motors and a larger battery pack for more range and better performance.
GM had our curiosity with the price tag, and now they have our attention. So let's dive in.
First impressions
The 2027 Bolt is identical to the '23 Bolt EUV down to the millimetre, but if you look closely, you'll notice the front end looks different—the '27 looks more angular and now has an LED lightbar connecting the headlights. The reworked rear end is similarly more angular than before, and if you didn't like the chrome trim along the doors before, it's gone for 2027. We're just glad the brake lights are in a "normal" position.
But really, despite trying to be visually tougher with more creases, angles, and blacked-out trim, there's a cuteness to it all. The 2027 Bolt still carries itself with the same jellybean profile, and you can get it in some pretty fun colours that you'll never miss in a parking lot. GM calls our tester's punchy orange paint Habanero and we're here for it. Don't you just want to pinch its cheeks?
What's the 2027 Bolt like inside?
Four years ago, GM pitched the Bolt EUV as a higher-riding, more crossover-like version of the "regular" Bolt, with some extra cargo space. That crossover-like vibe carries over into the 2027 Bolt; you sit up high, visibility all around is great, and there's still 459 litres of cargo space with the seats up, and 1,594 when they're down. That's more space seats-down than the Leaf, but the Kona EV is roomier by a significant margin.
But that's okay, because the Bolt is plenty comfortable where you sit. The Bolt has a much bigger and more comfortable back seat than the Leaf, and there's plenty of headroom no matter where you sit thanks to the Bolt's jellybean shape. Even though much of the Bolt's interior is made up of hard-touch plastic that scratches easily if you're not careful, touch points like the seats and steering wheel feel nice, the wiper and shifter stalks feel solid, and praise the Car Gods, the 2027 Bolt has buttons and knobs for climate control.
The new Bolt uses an improved 11.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment, running GM's latest Google-based software. I love that the screen actually looks integrated into the dash, avoiding the tacked-on-iPad look almost everyone else does. The software itself is easy enough to use and the screen is responsive, but the Bolt is among the handful of GMs without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Consider yourself warned.
How does the 2027 Bolt drive?
The new Bolt receives a new battery pack — it's now a 65 kWh lithium-ion-phosphate unit, whichi is supposedly more energy-dense and allows for an uptick in both range and charging speed, but I'll get to that in a bit.
That new battery pack feeds a single front-mounted electric motor, putting out 220 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque. No, the 2027 Bolt isn't all-wheel-drive, but it's quick for what it is, and the steering has some surprisingly good weight to it. There's more road noise than we observed in the Leaf and Kona EVs, but it's not unbearable, and wind noise is well-hushed.
Range and charging
GM rates the 2027 Bolt at 422 kilometres on a single charge. That's a 24-km improvement over the Bolt EUV, but the also-FWD-only Leaf offers more depending on the spec. The 2027 Bolt also moves to a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge port that unlocks fast-charging at speeds of up to 150 kW at Tesla Superchargers.
Our real-world experience varied. We started our evaluation with an entirely reasonable 85 per cent charge, indicating 374 kilometres of range. We covered 310 km in mostly ideal conditions over our week with the Bolt before plugging with about 15 per cent left at a Shell fast-charger. Despite the Bolt's 150 kW rating and the charging station's 350 kW rating, we didn't see speeds higher than 85 kW. GM claims replenishing from 10-to-80 per cent takes 25 minutes; our 15-to-85 per cent charge took more than an hour. Evidently, your mileage may vary.
Final thoughts
It's a pity the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt won't be here for a while. Just as the Bolt was resurrected, GM announced it will discontinue it next year on account of tariffs, production woes — you know, that stuff. It's a pity, because even at $46,564 as-tested for our RS tester, it's a certifiably decent deal for a certifiably decent car.
