Chevy to End Bolt EV, EUV Production This Year

The Chevy Bolt was America’s third best-selling electric car last quarter. But it’s on its last legs. A Chevrolet spokesperson says, “Bolt EV and EUV production will end late this year.”

The Bolt EV is a small all-electric hatchback with up to 259 miles of range and a starting price of just $26,500. The Bolt EUV is a slightly larger version of the same car, stretched to add legroom for rear-seat passengers. It starts at $27,800.

The Bolt brothers were among few cars to survive a recent culling of federal electric vehicle (EV) tax credits, cutting the price of the Bolts by $7,500 for many buyers.

Taken together, the two outsold every electric vehicle (EV) not built by Tesla in the first quarter of 2023. But that wasn’t enough to save them. They’re going away largely because they sit on older battery technology, and General Motors has moved on to a newer form of EV battery.

Most GM electric cars now use the automaker’s Ultium platform. Ultium is what automotive engineers call a “skateboard platform.” It puts all battery, motor, suspension, and steering components beneath a flat load floor. It can be expanded or contracted to build many vehicle types.

GM plans to build many EVs on the Ultium platform, ranging from the roughly $30,000 Chevrolet Equinox EV to the $300,000-plus Cadillac Celestiq super-luxury car.

The Bolts ride on older battery technology. It proved problematic at times — Chevrolet was forced to recall every Bolt on the road to replace their batteries in 2021 after a series of fires.

The Chevrolet spokesperson says the Bolt “was a huge technical achievement and the first affordable EV, which set in motion GM’s all-electric future.” But the company “will launch several new EVs later this year based on the Ultium platform in key segments” and put the Bolts out to pasture.

The Bolt’s disappearance, though, underlines a serious hole in automakers’ market plans. Its end will leave the Nissan Leaf as the only EV available under the $30,000 line. Last month, the average electric car cost $58,940 — close to the price of the average luxury car.