[vike]

I still have my eye on a 26 Bolt when (if) it arrives. But it looks now like it won't have the ~$30K market to itself. As I'm seeing it now:

Kona - the perennial Bolt competitor, recently updated, still a bit on the high-priced side but Hyundai may have room to finesse that. Possibly more of an Equinox competitor at present price.

Leaf - new version expected based on the Ariya platform, bigger (and managed and liquid-cooled) battery, but priced in Equinox/Kona territory

Toyota C-HR+ - recently announced as an electric subcompact-crossover, below the bZ (the upgraded current bZ4X). No price info yet, but appears to be targeted at the low end with base trim, low $30Ks, so Bolt with a few options might be in its crosshairs.

What else? Ford seems to have fallen off the map as far as new EVs are concerned. Tesla will have a $25K model ... when? Chevy will have a range of Bolts including a smaller, less costly one (like the original Bolt?) ... when?

I'm driving a 2024 Kona Electric SEL right now, halfway through a very cheap 2-yr lease, so I'll be in the market as of this time next year. Before this I got very close to pulling the trigger on the last-gen Bolt, but the lingering battery problem fallout, CCS socket, NACS announcements, and GM killing the model combined to chill my interest.

I was glad to hear the Bolt's soon to be back on the menu, but I need to start off addressing the elephant in the room (at least for me) - if GM's sticking to their guns and omitting AAuto/CarPlay from the new Bolt, that's a no-sale. The Bolt is a value-focused EV which I'll be using as a second car, and paying some unknown price monthly on an 8-yr-old car (when OnStar Basics expires) to subscribe to features built-in to my Android phone (if only I had AAuto to access it!) is not consistent with that value-focused mission. If I want to pay for OnStar added features, that's my choice, but losing iOS or Android apps just because GM's too greedy to let me use my phone's data plan is a deal-killer. Either they snap out of it or they are dead to me - screw their "recurring revenues". If they have an epiphany and realize maybe Bolts need to be let off this particular hook, it'll be on my shopping list. Let's see what turns up.

Back to Hyundai-Kia - Kona pricing might look Equinox-ish, but in reality Hyundai's been slapping $7500 incentives on these (at least thru July 7, though that's been bumped out more than once so we'll see), and that's a discount off <$33k for small-battery SE (admittedly not all that easy to find). So no, not really in Equinox territory, and currently probably the best deal out there on a broadly useful BEV (currently flat out cheaper than a Fiat 500e, which would need to be a lot cheaper to justify its more limited utility). If things are roughly like this come May/June '26, a Kona Electric N-Line (the real sweet spot trim for me if I don't fully cheap out) is definitely high on my list.

Apart from the Kona, I'm a bit unclear on what's going on w/H-K. The EV3 is an obvious winner for me, but for some reason the only compact EV Kia U.S. is featuring on their web site as "coming soon" is the EV4 sedan, more car than I want - and no word on when we can expect EV3. If that's available soon enough that I don't have to pay "hot new model" premium it's probably a winner, but definitely on the list.

The Japanese continue to flounder. I've little reason to believe Nissan's LEAF will be competitively priced for purchase given the way Ariya's been priced (like Ariya it might wind up with some sweetheart lease deals, but I'm not particularly interested in staying on the leasing merry-go-round). With the Ariya already in the mix, I really wish Nissan had targeted a LEAF replacement well below it, but no dice. Pricing will tell all.

The big whiff for me was the C-HR+. I was initially intrigued to hear Toyota was bringing a sub-BZ4x BEV to the U.S. market (wife's a big Toyo fan so it would be the easiest buy for us), but then found out it's only being offered with AWD and a big battery, so likely priced ABOVE the base model new BZ. These guys absolutely cannot shoot straight, I'm guessing because they've continued to defer the kind of investments needed to make their EV supply chain and manufacturing more cost-effective.

And yeah, Ford's got the "skunkworks" toiling away in CA building who knows what, but it won't be delivered next year, so irrelevant for me.

Stellantis? Who has a whole stable of affordable BEVs in Europe, including Jeep models, that they refuse to sell here? But they bring in the near-useless 500e? And proudly present the Charger Daytona, the single most ridiculous BEV announcement of recent years? Yeah, too stupid to live.

Given the overall mix, GM's just one sensible announcement away from getting me into a showroom. But if they're not budging on AAuto/CarPlay, it's almost certainly H-K for me.

 

[MrHockey172000]

I'm driving a 2024 Kona Electric SEL right now, halfway through a very cheap 2-yr lease, so I'll be in the market as of this time next year. Before this I got very close to pulling the trigger on the last-gen Bolt, but the lingering battery problem fallout, CCS socket, NACS announcements, and GM killing the model combined to chill my interest.

I was glad to hear the Bolt's soon to be back on the menu, but I need to start off addressing the elephant in the room (at least for me) - if GM's sticking to their guns and omitting AAuto/CarPlay from the new Bolt, that's a no-sale. The Bolt is a value-focused EV which I'll be using as a second car, and paying some unknown price monthly on an 8-yr-old car (when OnStar Basics expires) to subscribe to features built-in to my Android phone (if only I had AAuto to access it!) is not consistent with that value-focused mission. If I want to pay for OnStar added features, that's my choice, but losing iOS or Android apps just because GM's too greedy to let me use my phone's data plan is a deal-killer. Either they snap out of it or they are dead to me - screw their "recurring revenues". If they have an epiphany and realize maybe Bolts need to be let off this particular hook, it'll be on my shopping list. Let's see what turns up.

Back to Hyundai-Kia - Kona pricing might look Equinox-ish, but in reality Hyundai's been slapping $7500 incentives on these (at least thru July 7, though that's been bumped out more than once so we'll see), and that's a discount off <$33k for small-battery SE (admittedly not all that easy to find). So no, not really in Equinox territory, and currently probably the best deal out there on a broadly useful BEV (currently flat out cheaper than a Fiat 500e, which would need to be a lot cheaper to justify its more limited utility). If things are roughly like this come May/June '26, a Kona Electric N-Line (the real sweet spot trim for me if I don't fully cheap out) is definitely high on my list.

Apart from the Kona, I'm a bit unclear on what's going on w/H-K. The EV3 is an obvious winner for me, but for some reason the only car Kia U.S. is featuring on their web site as "coming soon" is the EV4 sedan, more car than I want - and no word on when we can expect EV3. If that's available soon enough that I don't have to pay "hot new model" premium it's probably a winner, but definitely on the list.

The Japanese continue to flounder. I've little reason to believe Nissan's LEAF will be competitively priced for purchase given the way Ariya's been priced (like Ariya it might wind up with some sweetheart lease deals, but I'm not particularly interested in staying on the leasing merry-go-round). With the Ariya already in the mix, I really wish Nissan had targeted a LEAF replacement well below it, but no dice. Pricing will tell all.

The big whiff for me was the C-HR+. I was initially intrigued to hear Toyota was bringing a sub-BZ4x BEV to the U.S. market (wife's a big Toyo fan so it would be the easiest buy for us), but then found out it's only being offered with AWD and a big battery, so likely priced ABOVE the base model new BZ. These guys absolutely cannot shoot straight, I'm guessing because they've continued to defer the kind of investments needed to make their EV supply chain and manufacturing more cost-effective.

And yeah, Ford's got the "skunkworks" toiling away in CA building who knows what, but it won't be delivered next year, so irrelevant for me.

Stellantis? Who has a whole stable of affordable BEVs in Europe, including Jeep models, that they refuse to sell here? But they bring in the near-useless 500e? And proudly present the Charger Daytona, the single most ridiculous BEV announcement of recent years? Yeah, too stupid to live.

Given the overall mix, GM's just one sensible announcement away from getting me into a showroom. But if they're not budging on AAuto/CarPlay, it's almost certainly H-K for me.

I like your thinking. I have been intrigued by the EV3 and will look for it when it hits the US market. GM is very short sighted on several fronts.

 

[MrHockey172000]

Lots of AI renders of the 2026 "Chevy Bolt". In the AI world Bolts have twin tail pipes.

Lots of AI renders of the 2026 "Chevy Bolt". In the AI world Bolts have twin tail pipes.

This is the one AI made for me.

I still have my eye on a 26 Bolt when (if) it arrives. But it looks now like it won't have the ~$30K market to itself. As I'm seeing it now:

Kona - the perennial Bolt competitor, recently updated, still a bit on the high-priced side but Hyundai may have room to finesse that. Possibly more of an Equinox competitor at present price.
Leaf - new version expected based on the Ariya platform, bigger (and managed and liquid-cooled) battery, but priced in Equinox/Kona territory
Toyota C-HR+ - recently announced as an electric subcompact-crossover, below the bZ (the upgraded current bZ4X). No price info yet, but appears to be targeted at the low end with base trim, low $30Ks, so Bolt with a few options might be in its crosshairs.

What else? Ford seems to have fallen off the map as far as new EVs are concerned. Tesla will have a $25K model ... when? Chevy will have a range of Bolts including a smaller, less costly one (like the original Bolt?) ... when?

Anyway, a New Bolt looks on paper like it would be a cromulent replacement for The Olde Prius we're currently driving. We'll see. Fall might be interesting if any of these introductions happen, though the base Equinox will probably move upmarket once the Bolt appears, challenging the $35K model for cost-conscious buyers.

Lots of AI renders of the 2026 "Chevy Bolt". In the AI world Bolts have twin tail pipes.

This is what AI says the 2026 Chevrolet Bolt will look like.

 

[2026ChevyBOLTVS2023IONIQ5]

Since Tesla and Nissan are unlikely to ever qualify for
any future government incentives or rebates of any real
big dollar amount for the consumer, Chevy/GM would be wise
to just ditch any future plans of building the 2026 Chevy Bolt
in the USA as well, from a financial standpoint. Politcis in the USA
is too volatile and unpreditablea tool to capture a financial edge for a
EV manufacturer in my opinion. What is real long term is for
Chevy to try and compete with Tesla's 30K to 35K
models, (coming in a couple of months) with there own
300 mile sub 30K model, and if that means the battery's come from
China and it's built in Mexico, than so be it, (the long term view is what
Chevy needs to be worried about, and the long term view is that
China is sooner or later going to be able to bring in there
sub 30K models that are built every bit as good as the current modern
Model 3 and Model Y's, (that's not just opinion) that's the opinion of
the majority of car executives who are in a better position to gage the
entire future automobile landscape, in spite of this temporary MAGA, and Tariff
hysteria and leverage, (which likely won't last, but demand by the american people
for sub 30K EV's that have range from 300 to 500 miles is going to overpower
domestic ''America First'' policy's, which can be argued is often unamerican.

 

[shrox]

This is the one AI made for me.

View attachment 73677 This is what AI says the 2026 Chevrolet Bolt will look like.

Pretty generic look too.

 

[MrHockey172000]

Pretty generic look too.

Kind of a dumbed down Equinox.

 

[vike]

This is what AI says the 2026 Chevrolet Bolt will look like.

Man, that D-pillar is very Kona (leaps to mind because I look at one every day). The look here suggests a smaller sibling for the Equinox, quite easy on the eyes though not sure about the big scoops in front - channeling airflow into the front wheel wells to maximize turbulence? Eh - the gerbils doing those renders probably aren't aerodynamicists.

Such quibbles apart, haven't GM's comments suggested that they'll be reusing as much as feasible from the Bolt EUV to minimize development costs? Even the 2024 front-end would harmonize reasonably well with the current lineup. Given that the Bolt refresh was so well received there's an element of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to consider; I expect the new Bolt will appear less "new" than all these renders suggest. I do still question the choice of the EUV over the hatchback, since the EUV appears to overlap more with the Equinox, but I think that's just my general smaller/cheaper bias.

 

[MrHockey172000]

Man, that D-pillar is very Kona (leaps to mind because I look at one every day). The look here suggests a smaller sibling for the Equinox, quite easy on the eyes though not sure about the big scoops in front - channeling airflow into the front wheel wells to maximize turbulence? Eh - the gerbils doing those renders probably aren't aerodynamicists.

Such quibbles apart, haven't GM's comments suggested that they'll be reusing as much as feasible from the Bolt EUV to minimize development costs? Even the 2024 front-end would harmonize reasonably well with the current lineup. Given that the Bolt refresh was so well received there's an element of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to consider; I expect the new Bolt will appear less "new" than all these renders suggest. I do still question the choice of the EUV over the hatchback, since the EUV appears to overlap more with the Equinox, but I think that's just my general smaller/cheaper bias.

I think you could be right. Maybe something very close to the current EUV with higher charging rates and unfortunately no Apple CarPlay or android auto.

 

[usedBolt]

I think you could be right. Maybe something very close to the current EUV with higher charging rates and unfortunately no Apple CarPlay or android auto.

The gerbils are mostly AI these days. "Create an image of a 2026 Chevrolet Bolt based on a 2023 Bolt EUV, with design elements of the front clip and trim similar to the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox but still using the basic body structure of the EUV" might get you close.

It's probably answered in some other thread complaining about the loss of AA/Carplay, but
1) based on current GM products, how long does the "free trial" of Onstar for data service related to the Android Automotive-based infotainment last?
2) once the trial ends, if continuing service is not purchased, what specific functions fail and what keeps working?
3) how long is the car eligible for service, i.e. what's the expiration date for all service?
4) has anybody figured out a way to hack the Honda Prologue's infotainment into a GM-sold product? The Prologue is a Blazer with Honda trim and user interface; so the underlying system is the same as GM's but the user interface includes AA/Carplay.

 

[MrHockey172000]

The gerbils are mostly AI these days. "Create an image of a 2026 Chevrolet Bolt based on a 2023 Bolt EUV, with design elements of the front clip and trim similar to the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox but still using the basic body structure of the EUV" might get you close.

It's probably answered in some other thread complaining about the loss of AA/Carplay, but
1) based on current GM products, how long does the "free trial" of Onstar for data service related to the Android Automotive-based infotainment last?
2) once the trial ends, if continuing service is not purchased, what specific functions fail and what keeps working?
3) how long is the car eligible for service, i.e. what's the expiration date for all service?
4) has anybody figured out a way to hack the Honda Prologue's infotainment into a GM-sold product? The Prologue is a Blazer with Honda trim and user interface; so the underlying system is the same as GM's but the user interface includes AA/Carplay.

Here you go. I used your prompt.

 

[Yellow Yapper]

Here you go. I used your prompt. View attachment 73712

Interesting! Looks almost like its Chevy sibling - the Equinox EV but with hints of Bolt built-in. Probably shorter wheelbase, shorter overall, taller windows, smaller wheels but definitely hints of Eq EV.

 

[bisco]

kinda vanilla, i hope it doesn't look like that

 

[GregBrew]

Here you go. I used your prompt. View attachment 73712

It must have hallucinated the "BOLT" on the front grill.

AFAIK, no Bolt has that.

 

[fsu23phd]

View attachment 73490
GM USA Operations

November, that's unfortunate. The current version of the "Big Beautiful Bill" indicates that the 7500 tax credit will expire Dec 31, 2025. It hasn't passed the senate, but I'm sure that the tax credit parts will not be changed. The medicare and SALT changes, may get negotiated down, but I'm guessing that the tax credits are relatively low priority to democrats.

 

[theo]

I still have my eye on a 26 Bolt when (if) it arrives. But it looks now like it won't have the ~$30K market to itself. As I'm seeing it now:

Kona - the perennial Bolt competitor, recently updated, still a bit on the high-priced side but Hyundai may have room to finesse that. Possibly more of an Equinox competitor at present price.
Leaf - new version expected based on the Ariya platform, bigger (and managed and liquid-cooled) battery, but priced in Equinox/Kona territory
Toyota C-HR+ - recently announced as an electric subcompact-crossover, below the bZ (the upgraded current bZ4X). No price info yet, but appears to be targeted at the low end with base trim, low $30Ks, so Bolt with a few options might be in its crosshairs.

What else? Ford seems to have fallen off the map as far as new EVs are concerned. Tesla will have a $25K model ... when? Chevy will have a range of Bolts including a smaller, less costly one (like the original Bolt?) ... when?

Anyway, a New Bolt looks on paper like it would be a cromulent replacement for The Olde Prius we're currently driving. We'll see. Fall might be interesting if any of these introductions happen, though the base Equinox will probably move upmarket once the Bolt appears, challenging the $35K model for cost-conscious buyers.

I confess that I needed to look up the definition of "cromulent". I will attempt to use it in a sentence today.

 

[liresong]

.....kinda vanilla, i hope it doesn't look like that....

Try a non-vanilla color.....like red, maroon, blue, yellow, green, even purple. Brown is excluded, tho.

 

[usedBolt]

EV3.

This all assumes battery costs. If they do get solid state or sodium ion working then who knows.

Solid state remains a dream, and the soonest something might appear would be ~2030; even then, it'll be a high-end option for relatively extreme power/range, and potentially short-lived (working lifetime remains an issue). Sodium appears to work well, but it's lower capacity than lithium-ion (NMC). Probably a competitor for LFP batteries, but NMC Lithium will still be preferred for higher power/longer range products.

Anybody remember the sodium-sulfur batteries Ford used in a few electric lease-only models (late 90s/early 00s). They were interesting because, unlike the preferred NiMH at the time, they only worked when the guts were molten, at several hundred degrees, so cold starts could take a while (talk about "warm up"...).

Batteries can be made out of all sorts of things. Yes, it is physically and electrically possible to wire up a potato and see power produced, but you'd get far better range by eating it and going for a walk than trying to connect it to your Bolt!

 

[SpicyBolt]

I wonder if bolt production has gone to the back burner because of the current climate

It's still on as of this GM press release dated today, June 10th. Now it looks like a 2027 which kinda makes sense. The end of this year is rather late for a 2026. The 2026 MY has already started.

At one time, Orion was to produce EV pickups next. Now its ICE vehicles. The EV pickups will continue to be produced only at Factory Zero (formerly Detroit-Hamtramck) along with the Hummer EVs.

These are the plants that will be expanding production in the US.

GM to invest $4 billion in its US manufacturing plants

 

[bisco]

i hope they come through. it would be a sign that they are willing to invest in the future, and not just the next four years

 

[usedBolt]

It's still on as of this GM press release dated today, June 10th. Now it looks like a 2027 which kinda makes sense. The end of this year is rather late for a 2026. The 2026 MY has already started.
View attachment 73764
At one time, Orion was to produce EV pickups next. Now its ICE vehicles. The EV pickups will continue to be produced only at Factory Zero (formerly Detroit-Hamtramck) along with the Hummer EVs.

These are the plants that will be expanding production in the US.
View attachment 73765
GM to invest $4 billion in its US manufacturing plants

Ooops forgot the message.

Skipping a model year isn't unusual. I had a "1976" Capri that was first sold (I got it used) in early 1975 and was built (in Germany) in late 1974. Because of changes to the car structure (1974s were smaller, with a trunk; 1976 was longer and heavier, hatchback), powertrain (base 4 cyl for 1974 was 2L, 1976 was the 2.3L Pinto engine), and emissions (1974 was the last year without catalyst, and suffered badly for it, 1976 had oxidation catalyst though the gas mileage still sucked), Ford decided to skip the "1975" model year completely though there was only a short pause in availability. There were also cars that were released as, say, 1974 1/2, but that was used mainly when changes were relatively minor and trim-related.

The Bolt release is more like the Capri in scale: it's related to the previous model, but has substantial changes that justify a new designation. As long as it starts selling in 2026, they can call it a 2027 if they want to. At least, as a EV, the Bolt doesn't risk running into emission equipment changes.