The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt is the result of GM listening to its customers who wanted the automaker to bring back and affordable and practical electric vehicle. However, it will only be available for a limited time.
When the first-generation Bolt EV and its Bolt EUV counterpart were dismissed after the 2023 model year, GM was about to unleash an onslaught of new EVs on the market, which were not only more modern, but had to potential to actually become profitable. By sharing battery cell tech, platforms and powertrains across all of its core brands, this new family of eco-friendly trucks and crossovers would establish General Motors as a viable competitor to Tesla. And yet, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt was introduced, as the subcompact crossover was resuscitated as one of the most-affordable EVs on the Canadian market.
In another strange decision from GM, the new Bolt will likely only be available for a single model year, and several reasons explain this. The Fairfax, Kansas assembly plant where it’s built will soon be retooled to manufacture the gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox and the next-generation Buick compact crossover, which may or may not be called the Envision. Right now, the Equinox is built in Mexico and the Envision is built in China. This business decision has Trump administration import tariffs written all over it.
Also, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt may be built in the United States, only 17 percent of its parts are sourced from Canada and the U.S., while 51 percent of its parts are imported from China, including its LFP battery pack. Given USA’s willingness to ban almost everything auto-related coming from China, this component sourcing isn’t sustainable.
As for the product itself, well, it’s an obvious step forward compared to the outgoing Bolts. The new generation uses the Bolt EUV’s body, though designers improved a bunch of things. The taillights are now where we’re expecting to see them instead of being located in the bumper, and the liftgate now longer has sharp edges that owners have banged their noggins on a few times. A revised color palette and new alloy wheel designs are on offer.
Inside, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt gets a technological reboot with hi-resolution screens, a Google built-in infotainment system, and some additional creature comforts. The crossover also integrates a bunch of cameras, allowing for more advanced safety features, along with optional Surround Vision Recorder, which saves video clips of the car’s surroundings to a USB drive.
Under the hood, a new electric motor develops 210 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque, while the previous-gen Bolts boasted 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet. That Chinese-sourced LFP battery pack gets a capacity of 65 kWh, good for an estimated driving range of 422 kilometres on a single charge. As with all 2027 model-year GM EVs, the Bolt incorporates an NACS charge port, and the max speed on a DC fast charger can now reach 150 kW. It was about 55 kW in the old Bolt. There’s also an 11.5 kW on-board charger for level 2 juice-ups, same as before, along with vehicle-to-home (V2H) capability.
Here are the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt energy efficiency and range ratings:
| City/Highway/Combined (Le/100 km) | City/Highway/Combined (kWh/100 km) | Driving Range (km) | |
| Bolt | 1.8 / 2.2 / 2.0 | 15.6 / 19.8 / 17.5 | 422 |
During our summer test of the Bolt, using our eco-driving skills and the one-pedal feature, we managed an excellent average of 15.4 kWh/100 km.
The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt is available in LT and RS trim levels. Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, heated and power-adjustable mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, single-zone climate control, cloth seat upholstery, an eight-way power driver’s seat, a height-adjustable front passenger seat, heated front seats, a heated and wrapped steering wheel, an 11-inch digital driver instrument cluster, an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in, navigation, SiriusXM with 360L compatibility (subscription required after three-month trial), a Wi-Fi hotspot (data subscription required) and a six-speaker sound system.
A bunch of active safety features come standard as well, such as auto high beams, adaptive cruise control, rear park assist, emergency braking with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, side bicyclist alert, blind-spot monitoring with steering assist, rear cross traffic braking, reverse automatic braking, and GM’s Safety Alert Seat.
The LT can also be equipped with roof rails, Evotex simulated leather seating, ventilated front seats, a rear center fold-down armrest and ambient interior lighting. These extra features are included as standard on the RS, which gets a sportier appearance with a gloss black grille and black alloy wheels.
A dual-panel panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, front and rear park assist, a rear camera mirror, driver attention assist, a surround camera system with recording, wireless phone charging and GM’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous drive system (subscription required after three-year trial) are available through option packages on both trim levels.
In Canada, 2027 Chevrolet Bolt pricing ranges from $43,398 to $54,163, which includes the $2,600 freight and delivery charges, the $100 A/C tax, the $699 dealer fees and all factory options. In the United States, the Bolt is priced from $28,995 to $39,335. EV competition includes the Fiat 500e, the Hyundai Kona Electric, the Kia EV3 and Kia EV4, the Nissan LEAF, the Subaru Uncharted, the Tesla Model 3, the Toyota C-HR and the Volvo EX30.
Why You Should Buy a 2027 Chevrolet Bolt
- The Bolt is among the most-affordable EVs in Canada, and it’s eligible for the Canadian EVAP rebate of up to $5,000. As these lines are being written, GM is also offering low finance interest rates and special lease programs to sweeten the deal.
- We managed to squeeze out great efficiency out of the Bolt’s powertrain. It may not have a much torque as in the previous Bolt, but that just creates more wheelspin and tire wear anyway, without tangible performance gains.
- If there’s an advantage with the Bolt’s lithium iron phosphate or LFP battery pack, it’s that we can keep it topped up at 100% of its capacity at all times. With lithium ion batteries, which GM uses in all of its other EVs and other manufacturers use as well, it’s recommended to keep them charged at about 80% to preserve battery life, unless we’re planning on covering a longer distance. That’s something to manage on an everyday basis that isn’t required with the Bolt.
- The Chevrolet Bolt is just easy to live with. Its just-right proportions make it pretty versatile and a piece of cake to park, it’s fun to drive, it’s got all the on-board tech we want and need (well, almost) and the dashboard is ergonomic with hard climate control buttons. Along with numerous storage points on the dash and on centre console. It can hardly get any user-friendlier than this.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a 2027 Chevrolet Bolt
- The Bolt can’t be ordered with all-wheel drive. The Kia EV3, Subaru Uncharted, Toyota C-HR and Volvo EX30 can, though in all those cases, we’ll need to shell out more than $50k to get that all-weather traction.
- The touchscreen is pretty big, and for some strange reason, it’s a little stubborn. We can’t just tap on button zones. We need to press firmly on them, which can be distracting while driving. The Bolt is the lowest-priced GM EV, but we were expecting an interface that’s as slick as the one in the Chevrolet Equinox EV, for example.
- When the original Bolt EV launched, its biggest drawback was uncomfortable front seats. That has improved a little over time, but still a stocking point. The 2027 Bolt gets new seats, and guess what? They are more supportive, but still lack good comfort over long drives. Rear-seat occupants get a flat floor, which is good, but the seatback angle isn’t adjustable.
- For those who use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on a daily basis, well, the Bolt doesn’t allow their functionality. GM figures owners will appreciate the Google built-in interface and that it will serve them well once they create a user profile and set everything up, while using GM’s mobile app to connect to the vehicle. It’s arguably true, but at some point down the road, the connected services trial period will run out (ok, the trial period is eight years for basic features including navigation, audio streaming and app connectivity) and then we’ll have to pay to play.
Should You Buy a 2027 Chevrolet Bolt?
Looking for an affordable EV? The Bolt is a solid choice. It’s efficient, drives well, practical and well-equipped for the price.
On the other hand, the lack of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto can be a dealbreaker for some shoppers, the infotainment touchscreen isn’t the slickest to use, and several rivals offer more range, such as the EV3, the EV4, the LEAF, the Uncharted, the Model 3 and the C-HR.
To keep the Bolt competitive beyond its qualities, GM might need to continue offering incentives. That’s if we’re willing to buy an EV that will be discontinued in a few months in the first place.
| Specifications | |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Chevrolet Bolt | 2026 Hyundai Kona Electric | 2027 Kia EV3 | 2026 Toyota C-HR | 2026 Volvo EX30 | |
| Price Range ($CAD) including Luxury Tax (if applicable) | $43,398 to $54,163 | $47,098 to $53,498 | $40,179 to $59,429 | $47,829 to $58,234 | $47,995 to $52,995 |
| Drivetrain | Single Motor FWD | Single Motor FWD | Single Motor FWD Dual-Motor AWD | Single Motor FWD Dual-Motor AWD | Single Motor RWD Dual Motor AWD |
| Output (hp) | 210 | 201 | 201 to 288 | 221 to 338 | 268 to 422 |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 169 | 188 | 209 to 345 | 198 (front) / 125 (rear) | 253 to 400 |
| Base City/Highway/Combined (Le/100 km) | 1.8 / 2.2 / 17.5 | 1.8 / 2.3 / 2.0 | 1.8 to 2.1 / 2.3 to 2.5 / 2.0 to 2.3 | 1.7 to 1.9 / 2.0 to 2.3 / 1.8 to 2.1 | 1.9 to 2.2 / 2.3 to 2.6 / 2.0 to 2.4 |
| Base City/Highway/Combined (kWh/100 km) | 15.6 / 19.8 / 17.5 | 16.3 / 20.3 / 18.1 | 16.2 to 19.3 / 20.5 to 21.7 / 18.0 to 20.5 | 15.0 to 17.2 / 17.8 to 20.6 / 16.2 to 18.7 | 16.5 to 19.8 / 20.1 to 22.9 / 18.1 to 21.2 |
| Battery Capacity (kWh) | 65 | 64.8 | 58.3 to 81.4 | 77 | 69 |
| Driving Range (km) | 422 | 420 | 356 to 517 | 438 to 496 | 365 to 420 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,675 | 2,660 | 2,680 | 2,750 | 2,650 |
| Length (mm) | 4,307 | 4,355 | 4,300 to 4,310 | 4,520 | 4,233 |
| Width (mm) | 1,770 | 1,825 | 1,850 | 1,870 | 1,838 |
| Height (mm) | 1,622 | 1,580 | 1,570 to 1,575 | 1,620 | 1,555 to 1,567 |
| Headroom Front/Rear (mm) | 992 to 1,016 / 960 | 974 to 1,015 / 972 | 977 to 1,015 / 955 | 980 to 993 / 924 to 953 | 1,018 / 974 |
| Legroom Front/Rear (mm) | 1,124 / 993 | 1,059 / 925 | 1,060 / 950 | 1,070 / 818 | 1,063 / 821 |
| Cargo Volume Mix/Max/Front Trunk (L) | 459 / 1,594 / - | 723 / 1,803 / - | 609 to 740 / 1,470 to 1,600 / - | 716 / 1,685 / - | 318 to 400 / 718 to 1,000 / 7 |
| Towing Capacity (kg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 907 |
