Chevy Bolt EV Forum banner
  • Hey Guest, welcome to ChevyBolt.org. We encourage you to register to engage in conversations about your Bolt.
  • Battery replacement master thread - please do not create a new thread.

Alternative to 2026 Bolt?

14K views 163 replies 37 participants last post by  GregBrew  
#1 · (Edited)
Was salivating over the prospect of getting a 2026 Bolt in late '25 with a $7,500 federal tax credit at time of purchase. Now that seems off the table. Looking...very reluctantly.... at alternatives to the Bolt which can be purchased by the end of '25 so as to get the rebate. Any thoughts on either the delayed Bolt or good Bolt alternatives? I would also like to stay as close as possible to the Bolt's $30k price point. Should also say that I bought a used '23 Bolt in January of this year. That's why I fell in love with it and want another one, and why I can't buy another used one and get another used-EV rebate.
 
#2 ·
Was salivating over the prospect of getting a 2026 Bolt in late '25 with a $7,500 federal tax credit at time of purchase. Now that seems off the table. Looking...very reluctantly.... at alternatives to the Bolt which can be purchased by the end of '25 so as to get the rebate. Any thoughts on either the delayed Bolt or good Bolt alternatives? I would also like to stay as close as possible to the Bolt's $30k price point.
equinox EV
 
#12 ·
Not quite true, but definitely check on your tax status before pulling the trigger if the credit is important for your budget. There are some limitations on using it.

As for pricing, the market is a little soft right now so you might in fact have a little bargaining room with dealers. Also, I'm not horribly worried about the credit because when the Bolt lost its tax credit in 2018 (GM passed the EV sales threshold) GM started offering a near-matching rebate; I would expect something similar with the Equinox this time around.
 
#13 ·
I bought a 23 EUV Hertz castoff last June with no rebate and I am absolutely delighted with my decision. Still in warranty for nine months. Now if you can find one you qualify for the $4k rebate (most likely) . The savings should be HUGE vs a new Equinox. And the Consumer Reports frequency of repair chart is excellent for the 23 models.
Thats my recommendation for anyone looking for a car.
 
#34 ·
I didn't see it mentioned, but the new, 2026 Leaf should be arriving at Nissan dealers soon. Depending on range (looks like the lowest trim will be a lackluster 187 miles) and how (and if) the tax credit applies, it will likely continue to be the closest competitor to the new Bolt.

The old Leaf had its flaws, but many people were quite satisfied with it for the very long time it stayed in production with only a solitary, mostly cosmetic update.
 
#35 ·
I didn't see it mentioned, but the new, 2026 Leaf should be arriving at Nissan dealers soon. Depending on range (looks like the lowest trim will be a lackluster 187 miles) and how (and if) the tax credit applies, it will likely continue to be the closest competitor to the new Bolt.

The old Leaf had its flaws, but many people were quite satisfied with it for the very long time it stayed in production with only a solitary, mostly cosmetic update.
I don't know how soon.
at the end mentions global launch June 17th. I interpret that as a press conference and full specs. If we're lucky, we might even get pricing, trim levels and features by trim level and packages.

My wild guess is that '26 Leaf won't arrive for sales at US dealers anywhere between July and Sept 1, 2025 but I have no inside info.
 
#53 ·
It's effectively a rebate at that point, as its full value is usable without needing the tax liability when you file your taxes.
The IRS can ask for the used EV tax credit money back from you if your tax return shows, based on your income, that you were not qualified for the credit. When you repay it, it is an addition to your taxes. So you say you get a rebate, but then if the IRS wants it back, they say you pay it as a tax. If you want to call it a rebate, that’s fine, but in all IRS language it is a tax credit.

From the IRS website:
What if I end up exceeding the modified AGI limitations for the year? (added Oct. 6, 2023)

A10. If your modified AGI exceeds the limitations for the taxable year, you will be required to repay the amount received for transferring the tax credit as an addition to tax for the tax year the vehicle was placed in service.
 
#63 ·
You can call it whatever you like. It acts like a rebate when claimed at time of sale, which is what I said in my very first post, and you got butthurt instead of just acknowledging my point.

Frankly, I don't care anymore. If some learned today they can claim there full $4K rebate, regardless of their tax liability, then my job is accomplished. If they are still too dense to understand, that's not my problem.
 
#64 ·
All I've found out is some people are illiterate and are too illiterate to know. Mfg and sellers offer rebates. Government cannot offer rebates but offers Tax Credits. Both can make up rules on eligibility including Tax Liability, Earned Income, or Investment. LOL


Image
 
#65 ·
People, let's stop this argument. Officially, it's a tax credit. In that, everyone agrees. When someone uses the credit at time of purchase, it has a similar impact to the price of the EV as if the manufacturer had offered a price credit (often referred to as a rebate). The bottom line is the actual price paid at time of purchase is lower than it would be without the credit.

And there are rebates that can be applied at time of purchase, while other rebates require paying the full price and applying for the rebate amount that is paid after the purchase.

Reminding someone it's a tax credit in a single polite post is fine. This name calling and back-and-forth is going too far and if it continues this thread will be closed and some posts will be deleted. Please, move on from the off-topic and get back on the main topic of the thread.
 
#84 ·
People, let's stop this argument. Officially, it's a tax credit. In that, everyone agrees. When someone uses the credit at time of purchase, it has a similar impact to the price of the EV as if the manufacturer had offered a price credit (often referred to as a rebate). The bottom line is the actual price paid at time of purchase is lower than it would be without the credit.

And there are rebates that can be applied at time of purchase, while other rebates require paying the full price and applying for the rebate amount that is paid after the purchase.

Reminding someone it's a tax credit in a single polite post is fine. This name calling and back-and-forth is going too far and if it continues this thread will be closed and some posts will be deleted. Please, move on from the off-topic and get back on the main topic of the thread.
Anyone who’s shopping for a used EV from a dealer should ask directly whether the advertised price includes the $4000. An unscrupulous dealer will be tempted to bake the $4000 into the asking price without disclosing that if the buyer turns out not to be eligible he may have some explaining to do to the IRS
 
#67 ·
Makes sense that dealers would be offering big incentives to move out remaining Niro EVs with the impending arrival of the brand-new EV3 (not to mention how low the price of the new 2026 Bolt might be 'if' the full tax credit is still available when it arrives).

But even at $10k off of MSRP, a new, 2025 Niro EV at ~$30k isn't as attractive a purchase as the 2023 Bolt with the $7500 tax credit, particularly in light of the Niro's 85kW DCFC (which sounds every bit as slow as the Bolt's 55kW speed).
 
#81 · (Edited)
No, it’s every 3 years and it’s based on the taxpayer(s), not who happens to live in the household.

 
#90 ·
Personally, I think POS is actually safer for the buyer. The dealership sells it to you at the reduced price, and the dealership is on the hook for filing correctly with the IRS to get their money. If the dealership fails to file correctly, it's now their problem, not yours.

If you don't transfer the credit and take it when you file your taxes, that's when the horror stories can come up. You're at the mercy of the dealership filing correctly, and they have zero incentive to correct any problems since you paid them the full amount up front.
You make a good case for taking the money up front. What happens if you do but it turns out that your income disqualifies you? Wait and see whether the IRS realizes that, thanks to the POS “rebate” you got a $4000 credit that you weren’t entitled to? Turn yourself in to the IRS? How would you do that given that you’re not claiming anything on your tax return?
 
#91 ·
If you take the POS credit, you still have to file for it with your taxes. The IRS reminds you of the need to file forms 8936 and 8936 Schedule A in a letter mailed to you shorty after the vehicle purchase and credit transfer took place. So, the IRS knows you made a purchase of a particular VIN at a particular dealer, and transferred a credit, and is expecting you to confirm your tax credit qualifications on your tax return.
 
#104 ·
If you take the POS credit, you still have to file for it with your taxes. The IRS reminds you of the need to file forms 8936 and 8936 Schedule A in a letter mailed to you shorty after the vehicle purchase and credit transfer took place. So, the IRS knows you made a purchase of a particular VIN at a particular dealer, and transferred a credit, and is expecting you to confirm your tax credit qualifications on your tax return.
Thanks.
If you take the POS credit, you still have to file for it with your taxes. The IRS reminds you of the need to file forms 8936 and 8936 Schedule A in a letter mailed to you shorty after the vehicle purchase and credit transfer took place. So, the IRS knows you made a purchase of a particular VIN at a particular dealer, and transferred a credit, and is expecting you to confirm your tax credit qualifications on your tax return.
Thanks - that's very helpful.
 
#114 ·
I don't know about you, but for precisely the reason that you describe it's a little hard for me to imagine that a dealer wouldn't file whatever paperwork they needed to file to collect that $4000. By invisibly including the $4000 in their asking price the dealer can attract potential buyers who might not be as interested if they knew that the price included a $4000 credit that the buyer might not be eligible for.
More broadly, this tactic fits all too neatly into dealers' infamous reputation for baiting an switching, attracting buyers with attention-getting advertised numbers, then sneaking a variety of miscellaneous charges into the fine print of the purchase agreement. They are very good at this - they don't need any help from Uncle Sam.
I don't know about you, but for precisely the reason that you describe it's a little hard for me to imagine that a dealer wouldn't file whatever paperwork they needed to file to collect that $4000. By invisibly including the $4000 in their asking price the dealer can attract potential buyers who might not be as interested if they knew that the price included a $4000 credit that the buyer might not be eligible for.
More broadly, this tactic fits all too neatly into dealers' infamous reputation for baiting an switching, attracting buyers with attention-getting advertised numbers, then sneaking a variety of miscellaneous charges into the fine print of the purchase agreement. They are very good at this - they don't need any help from Uncle Sam.
Here's a post script for anyone who was curious enough to click on my link to the webpage for a used 2021 Bolt in the inventory of Mountain View Chevrolet in Upland, CA. The boldly advertised asking price is $16,986. After leading me on for the better part of the weekend - both the salesman and his manager expressed a clear interest in negotiating our way to a deal, with both parties (seemingly) offering to give ground - they now say that I can have the car for the out-the-door price of (wait for it) only $25,456.

I've never been a fan of either Tesla or Musk, but there are two things that Elmo got very right:
1. He realized that he'd sell many more cars if they were just one component of an integrated EV transportation system, and
2. H realized that there are a lot of people who would pay good money to not have to deal with car dealers.