Bolt Is Back - This Time With a New Plug and an Old Mission

General Motors has officially announced that the Chevrolet Bolt will return in 2027. Discontinued in 2023, the compact EV makes a comeback with minor cosmetic updates and one major new feature: a NACS charging port.

When it first launched in 2017, the Bolt was a trailblazer—the first mass-produced long-range electric vehicle priced outside the luxury stratosphere, around $37,000. It wasn’t cheap, but it didn’t require a lottery win either. Now, GM promises a return to those roots: a price point around $30,000 and a range of up to 480 kilometers.

Design tweaks will be modest: a slightly sharper front fascia, reshaped tail lights, and the aforementioned Tesla-compatible charging port. GM also highlights the ability to split its 800-volt architecture into dual 400-volt outputs—a flexibility feature dressed up as an engineering breakthrough, when it’s really just a necessary nod to legacy infrastructure.

The new Bolt will be built at GM’s Fairfax plant in Kansas City and will sit on the Ultium platform. But don’t expect it to showcase Ultium’s full potential—this is a cost-conscious play aimed squarely at the crowded lower end of the EV market.

Ultimately, Bolt’s return isn’t a technological leap—it’s a strategic placeholder. It fills a gap in GM’s lineup and answers growing demand for affordable EVs. If it hits the sweet spot on price and range, Bolt may once again become the sensible electric car that simply works.