GM introduced again the Chevrolet Bolt EV this week—as a future reasonably priced EV product peg for the corporate’s product plan.

Whereas the timeline is but to be disclosed for the revamped Bolt EV, the timeline for the present Bolt EV disappearing from dealerships stays confirmed.

In April, GM disclosed that it might discontinue the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV on the finish of 2023, as manufacturing winds down on the Orion Meeting plant in Michigan. GM had already dedicated that plant to supply the Chevrolet Silverado EV and different massive electrical vehicles on its Ultium platform. 

“Drawing on numerous Ultium and Ultifi technological developments will assist GM deliver this in style mannequin again to market on an accelerated timeline,” GM stated Tuesday, confirming that the long run Bolt EV received’t carry over its current propulsion tech. 

GM Ultium battery – cell stacking

Future Bolt EV received’t be all-new

The automaker additionally urged that not the whole lot on the Bolt EV might be new. GM famous that it “will execute it extra shortly in comparison with an all-new program with considerably decrease engineering expense and capital funding by updating the automobile with Ultium and Ultifi applied sciences and by making use of our ‘successful with simplicity’ self-discipline.”

Ultium is the broad commerce time period making use of to GM battery and electrical propulsion households, and Ultifi is the time period making use of to its EV software program, so this merely signifies that the long run Bolt EV received’t carry ahead with its present-generation LG Chem cells. These cells had been the main focus of a very expensive, large-scale recall that seems to have been well worth the effort, leaving prospects glad and dependable to the model and nameplate.

GM had no incentive to hold the present Bolt EV’s battery tech ahead anyhow.

“We’re already on the highway to delivering a 60% price discount in comparison with the Bolt EV with the following era of Ultium,” GM CEO Mary Barra stated in 2021, of tech set to reach mid-decade, as a part of an announcement touting the automaker as one of many few to have an EV that’s as reasonably priced because the Bolt household.

Potential electrical Chevrolet Camaro in GM Ultium teaser video

Did GM ever truly kill the Chevy Bolt EV?

GM executives had already hinted to Inexperienced Automotive Experiences and different retailers that whereas future electrical small vehicles is perhaps within the works, these automobiles wouldn’t use the identical large-format Ultium pouch cells that GM deliberate to deploy on the whole lot from the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Blazer EV on as much as large vehicles such because the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV.

Likewise, GM and Honda introduced in April 2022 that they had been working collectively on a joint structure for reasonably priced EVs—one that might use “next-generation Ultium battery know-how,” in line with GM.

At the moment, these compact EVs had been set to reach for 2026. It’s arduous to think about GM engaged on a number of compact EV platforms outdoors China, so this week’s announcement probably alerts that the mission has been pulled forward—maybe like how the automaker managed to speed up improvement of the Cadillac Lyriq. 

GM could have offered a few of the reply to what comes subsequent. Earlier this 12 months the corporate clarified that it’d embody the pliability of cylindrical cells in future EVs, as a part of its Ultium tech however not as a part of the Ultium Cells LLC three way partnership. That was made clearer this April with the announcement of a three way partnership between GM and Samsung SDI that may mass-produce cylindrical cells for GM merchandise beginning in 2026.

The lower-profile cells would assist reply the dimensional challenges that make these large-format cells more durable to bundle inside a small automobile or beneath the ground of a low-profile automobile. 

UAW-made sticker on 2022 Chevy Bolt EV

Bolt EV’s manufacturing dilemma

Whereas the Bolt EV’s Michigan plant shifts to electrical truck manufacturing later within the 12 months, the automaker doesn’t produce other rapid choices for U.S. manufacturing. GM vacated its Lordstown, Ohio, plant that used to assemble compact vehicles and is positioned close to the Ultium LLC cells facility. It’s now underneath the possession of Foxconn, which is able to probably assemble the $29,900 Fisker Pear city EV there. 

In the meantime, demand for the Bolt EV surges, and GM will face a spot in its lineup after the tip of the 12 months. Of the 36,024 EVs GM delivered within the first half of 2023, simply 2,365 had been of its new-generation Ultium EVs. The remaining 33,659 had been Chevrolet Bolt EVs. 

In its replace for buyers earlier this week, CEO Barra pointed to the Bolt as one among its most in-demand automobiles, at or underneath a 10-day provide in supplier stock. 

“Really, we will not construct sufficient Bolts proper now,” Barra stated to Wolfe Analysis analyst Rod Lache.