- The heavily updated 2027 Chevrolet Bolt was said to be “limited-production.” Now we know just how limited.
- General Motors officials told Bloomberg the Bolt will only be made at its Kansas factory for about 18 months.
- In its place will come the gas-powered Buick Envision, which is being reshored to the U.S. from China.
A few years ago, General Motors ended production of the affordable Chevrolet Bolt, then immediately lamented doing so as it left a big hole in its electric lineup. Now, the Bolt is back—but as expected, it won’t be sticking around for very long. And now we know just how long.
According to Bloomberg, GM officials have decided to end production of the heavily updated 2027 Chevrolet Bolt after just about a year and a half, in order to free up production space at its Fairfax, Kansas factory for a gas-powered Buick crossover.
Update 7 p.m.: GM officials confirmed the move to InsideEVs. “When we revealed Bolt in October, we said it’d be a limited-run model, which we are bringing back due to strong customer demand,” a Chevrolet spokesperson said. “We also said it would account for the majority of EV volume for Chevrolet in 2026, alongside the Chevrolet Equinox EV. We reiterate that today.”
While the 2027 Bolt has received considerable hype since it was formally announced last year—it’s a 260-mile EV that starts at just $28,995, making it once again America’s cheapest new EV—it seems to be running into regulatory changes that GM can’t move fast enough to keep up with.
Amid the second Trump administration, GM is under tariff-related pressure to bring more production to the U.S., and the China-built Buick Envision is uniquely exposed. Meanwhile, the Bolt can no longer take advantage of the $7,500 tax credit. And with GM no longer under the gun with strict fuel economy regulations, there’s apparently less of a business case for it than another (presumably more profitable) gas-powered crossover. Buick sold about 42,000 of them last year, due in part to tariff-related restrictions.
The Bolt will wind down production as GM prepares for the gas-powered Equinox to move back to Kansas from Mexico in 2027.
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Source: Patrick George
While the move is probably good news for GM’s bottom line—and its ability to boast of reshoring to President Donald Trump—it’s likely to be seen as a letdown for EV fans looking forward to more affordable choices in the market. Moreover, fans of the original Bolt were excited to see the compact electric’s return to the market. In 2023, its last full year on the market, Chevrolet sold about 62,000 Bolts, and was met with widespread criticism when the car was discontinued.
The new Bolt seemed poised to be an even bigger hit. With new lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, a Tesla-style NACS plug, a modern software suite and updated safety features, the Bolt is set to deliver what owners loved about the last one with much more contemporary equipment.
But its return to the market seems considerably more tepid now. The Detroit Free Press reported that the Fairfax plant is “operating on one shift while 900 workers remain on indefinite layoff.” In other words: if you’re interested in the new Bolt, get it while you can.
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