General Motors’ decision to kill the Chevrolet Bolt was a strange one, because it immediately turned around and teased a successor. We’re getting close to the debut of that new model—though, as it turns out, it won’t be entirely new. The spy shots we’ve got here strongly indicate a refresh for GM’s cheapest EV rather than a full redesign, despite the fact that the Bolt has been out of production entirely since 2023.
GM was recently caught testing an upcoming Bolt in white alongside a predecessor Bolt EUV in gray. It appears the company will only sell the larger EUV version this time around, which probably makes more sense for the American market. Side-by-side shots of both generations bear out that the company’s designers have indeed scrapped the older model’s split brake-light situation, where the elements near the tailgate only light up when the vehicle’s lights are on, and the actual brake lights are further down, where you’d expect reflectors to be. Probably a smart move.
A slightly resculpted front fascia differentiates the two Bolts as well, though I’d hesitate to say one definitively looks more modern than the other. I’ll probably have a hard time remembering which face belongs to which generation head on in traffic. If you look closely between the headlights, you’ll see some texturing similar to what the Equinox EV wears on its bumper.
The profile shot makes it abundantly clear that, save a few exterior nips and tucks, this is the old Bolt with some new underpinnings. GM has reportedly incorporated LFP batteries in this new rendition, with updated motors and a NACS port, allowing for Tesla Supercharger access. The automaker is apparently shooting for a 300-mile range with this compact EV, too. That stands to represent a handy improvement upon the prior gen, which topped out at about 250 miles on a full tank of electrons.
One thing the next Bolt definitively won’t have is a federal EV tax credit, which especially stings because GM may find it challenging to match the old EUV’s $30K base price, four model years later. Oh, and it also probably won’t have CarPlay, barring a miraculous corporate change of heart.
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