Chevrolet's electric Bolt returning to showrooms in 2026

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- This might sound familiar: Chevrolet is coming out with a new electric car called the Bolt. Okay, technically they're bringing back the Bolt for 2027, after it was dropped a couple of years ago.

"Our senior leaders heard from our customers in all sorts of ways. They got calls, they got letters, they got social media posts. And they said, 'Wait a minute. Maybe we should rethink this,'" said Jeremy Short, chief engineer for the Chevy Bolt.

It's the kind of about-face that rarely happens - returning something to showrooms that had been discontinued.

At one time, it was Chevrolet and GM's electric hero as that segment was starting to ramp up in 2016. The Bolt offered amazing range for its time and sticker price, an EPA-rated 259 miles. While small, it was mighty, even showing off its prowess in low-speed handling.

But General Motors' game plan of a few years ago meant the Bolt was seen as out of date. A new platform brought larger, more advanced EVs like the Equinox, and even a battery-powered version of the Silverado pickup.

With a shifting electric car market, both from a regulatory standpoint, as well as many buyers seeking something more affordable, the Bolt returns - offering a familiar look, a lower price, newer battery technology and other updates.

"Larger screens on the inside. The center screen is larger, but we also still have a cluster, or driver information center, and that's larger as well," noted Short.

One thing that's kept a lot of people away from EV ownership has been price. And that's especially true since the EV tax credit went away. Well, Chevrolet says the new Bolt comes in as their most affordable electric car.

Range is still about the same as the previous Bolt, but it now has much faster and easier charging, thanks to being able to access the Tesla Supercharger network. An NACS charging port is standard.

"We can go from 10% to 80% in 26 minutes, and that makes it a bona fide road trip car," Short said.

All this for base prices starting at $28,995 including destination charge.

Officially, the Bolt is only coming back for a limited time. How long is that? A lot will depend on what else Chevy and GM have up their EV sleeves for the future. But for now, the Bolt returns early in 2026, ready to be part of Chevrolet's non-gasoline lineup, once again.