Chevrolet News:Ultium Bolt Announced by Chevrolet

[G. David Felt]

GM Chairperson and CEO Mary Barra announced during GM's Quarterly earnings call that Chevrolet next-generation Bolt will come on the Ultium platform continuing to offer great affordability, range and technology.

The next-generation Bolt which has had record sales and some of the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty scores in the industry, especially among conquest sales will come to market using the Ultium and Ultifi technology advancements according to Barra.

The Bolt and Bolt EUV are driving EV adoption sales currently and Chevrolet is planning to continue this trend.

Barra stated during the earnings call that drawing on the Ultium and Ultifi technology will help GM accelerate the timeline to market and that an announcement of the next-generation Bolt will be done at a later date. With the Silverado EV, BLazer EV and Equinox EV launching this year, that the Ultium Bolt will join the family very soon.

According to GM, from the introduction of the Mass production of the Bolt in 2017 to Q2 2023 production has been a success. While parts supplies during the pandemic limited sales, the Bolt and Bolt EUV have clearly picked up. Sales of the Bolt from 2017 to 2022 are supplied by Statista.

Barra announced that Chevrolet had a 17% increase in sales with the Bolt / Bolt EUV making up 13,900, a 101% increase in sales over the same period last year. Adding success to Q1 Bolt / Bolt EUV sales of 19,700 gives the Bolt sales of 33,900 for the first half of the 2023 calendar year.

GM has stated that they are excited for the Chevrolet family of electric vehicles to build on the bolt sales with the Next-Generation of Ultium Bolt.

 

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[Drew Dowdell]

An unexpected twist! It sounds like it will be a major  mechanical refresh but maybe not so much a visual one.  I've read elsewhere that this could underpin a future Honda as well.

[ccap41]

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

An unexpected twist! It sounds like it will be a major  mechanical refresh but maybe not so much a visual one.  I've read elsewhere that this could underpin a future Honda as well.

Yeah, didn't they announce the cancelation of the Bolt within the last year or something?

[Drew Dowdell]

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, didn't they announce the cancelation of the Bolt within the last year or something?

I guess technically, they announced the end of production rather than cancelation.  But with sales numbers like what @David quoted, I can see a desire not to give up that slice of the market. The Bolt was ended to make room for additional Silverado EV production, so I would expect we'll hear about it moving to a new plant in the future.

[smk4565]

A good move, they need the Bolt and consumers need cheap EV’s.  If we are going all EV you can’t do that with $150,000 Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan.  Need to build $30,000 EVs.

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, didn't they announce the cancelation of the Bolt within the last year or something?

As Drew said, they had said production would end and then walked back by saying that customers loved the bolt and it would live on.
Chevy Bolt will live on. GM announces plans to keep nameplate. (usatoday.com)

[Drew Dowdell]

The more I understand about it, it will be a refresh of the current car with Ultium tech instead of the previous generation tech. That means it won't be off the market for long.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The more I understand about it, it will be a refresh of the current car with Ultium tech instead of the previous generation tech. That means it won't be off the market for long.

Does that mean it'll get the fast charging that comes with Ultium? That's the only real knock on the vehicles and I don't even think that's a big deal as it's much more of a commuter car to be charged at home anyway.

[Drew Dowdell]

7 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Does that mean it'll get the fast charging that comes with Ultium? That's the only real knock on the vehicles and I don't even think that's a big deal as it's much more of a commuter car to be charged at home anyway.

Bolt already DC Fast Charge. Will it get the higher speed charge that Ultium gets? Probably. 

The biggest thing GM has to do is redesign the battery pack to be smaller (narrower).  Most of the Ultium vehicles so far are very wide, too wide to fit under the Bolt.  But the selling point of Ultium is that the packs are flexible.

I would expect a slight, but not mind-blowing, range bump as well.  Maybe 259 -> 289 at best.

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Bolt already DC Fast Charge. Will it get the higher speed charge that Ultium gets? Probably. 

The biggest thing GM has to do is redesign the battery pack to be smaller (narrower).  Most of the Ultium vehicles so far are very wide, too wide to fit under the Bolt.  But the selling point of Ultium is that the packs are flexible.

I would expect a slight, but not mind-blowing, range bump as well.  Maybe 259 -> 289 at best.

Also makes one wonder if AWD might get added as it has the room in the back for a second motor. You could remove the drop down storage space and add a motor here.

[Drew Dowdell]

24 minutes ago, David said:

Also makes one wonder if AWD might get added as it has the room in the back for a second motor. You could remove the drop down storage space and add a motor here.

The Bolt is intended to be in the lower end of the market. Adding extra motors drives up cost, weight, and decreases range. It doesn't fit the target market.

[G. David Felt]

22 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The Bolt is intended to be in the lower end of the market. Adding extra motors drives up cost, weight, and decreases range. It doesn't fit the target market.

I do get that and agree, but I also just as Suzuki has a solid AWD low priced compact to sell for ICE, it would be a good option to have I think for the Bolt.

[ccap41]

3 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Bolt already DC Fast Charge. Will it get the higher speed charge that Ultium gets? Probably. 

Isn't it's peak charge rate only like 55kw?

[Drew Dowdell]

6 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Isn't it's peak charge rate only like 55kw?

Yeah, limited rate because of the battery issues they had made them nervous.  It's still faster than L2 charging.

But that's probably part of the upgrade. If an EValanche can charge at 10 miles a minute in that giant battery, a more efficient Bolt with a smaller battery should be even faster.

[bobo]

Bringing the Bolt back is great news.  The Equinox EV is 2 feet longer, and not everyone wants a larger crossover.  The Ultium tech should be addressing the only major issue on the Bolt, and that is the slow fast-charging speed.  While the max charging speed is about 55 kW, it also tapers off quickly.  It's unknown whether the Bolt will live on in EV or EUV form or both.  I would prefer the original EV body to make it an honest hatch, and the EV weighs less than the EUV because it uses several aluminum body panels versus the all-steel EUV.  However, the EUV is the much better-selling body style and has more modern detailing.

[regfootball]

On 7/26/2023 at 8:51 PM, bobo said:

Bringing the Bolt back is great news.  The Equinox EV is 2 feet longer, and not everyone wants a larger crossover.  The Ultium tech should be addressing the only major issue on the Bolt, and that is the slow fast-charging speed.  While the max charging speed is about 55 kW, it also tapers off quickly.  It's unknown whether the Bolt will live on in EV or EUV form or both.  I would prefer the original EV body to make it an honest hatch, and the EV weighs less than the EUV because it uses several aluminum body panels versus the all-steel EUV.  However, the EUV is the much better-selling body style and has more modern detailing.

I prefer the EUV due to actual room and space. 
 

I agree with those that would like an AWD option.   I don’t really want to buy any cars in the future without AWD. 

[G. David Felt]

15 hours ago, regfootball said:

I prefer the EUV due to actual room and space. 
 

I agree with those that would like an AWD option.   I don’t really want to buy any cars in the future without AWD. 

They actually nailed it on the head for the 5 things the Ultium BOLT needs.

Chevy's Ultium Bolt will need these 5 things to be successful | Electrek

1. Fast NACS Charging - Ability to have up to 350kW charging speed, but at least half of the battery can handle 150kW charging allowing for fast 20 min charge ups.
2. RWD/AWD powertrain option. Reminded that GM showed off in 2020 Battery day a 50HP electric motor that could be used in an AWD compact size EV to allow for traction and stability in foul weather.
3. Keep the HOT Hatch Proud, Bolt is a Hatch, Bolt EUV became an SUV, not everyone wants a SUV.
4. Improve the good of the BOLT, do not remove them to make it cheaper.
5. Dealer Improvements - The first I do not think is needed by making an EV division of sales seperate from ICE sales. Train them to be knowledgable on both. The second I do totally agree with, all Chevy Dealers should have DC Fast chargers required, none of this Level 1 and or 2 charging BS. They point out that Ford has made it mandatory for all EV dealers to have DC fast chargers on the lots, no level 1 or 2 chargers.

[Carguy]

So by the time this "new" Bolt comes out the $$$ will have lost more of its value making it as expensive as the EV Equinox! For those that believe cars have become to expensive?---You have seen NOTHING YET!!!

[oldshurst442]

 

1. We wont know the Ultium platform Bolt's msrp until it comes out.   Whenever that will be.  Nothing has been announced . At least Im not informed of anything. 

2. The Equinox EV's starting msrp is said to be around $30 000.  

3. But...GM is pulling an Elon Musk move and will not sell that 30 000 dollar version tout de suite.  GM will sell the higher trimmed versions first.  Not a bad move per se...   But shytty none. the. less.

4. I have a sneaky suspicion that GM will further copycat Elon Musk and wont offer a 30 000 dollar Equinox EV.  And this is where a 30 000 dollar Ultium Bolt comes in...     Its starting msrp now is $27 000.  So yeah, its possible that the starting price tag for the Ultium Bolt will be 30 000.  And the Equinox will be bumped up to 35 000 or maybe even 38 000... 

But in a world where avg US transaction prices for new cars has hit 50 000 American smack-a-roonies...   The American consumer is just as much to blame for this mess as is the car makers that sell cars in North America...

American and Canadian car consumers dont seem to want cheap, stripped cars...   We want all option boxes ticked even in the most cheapest cars available to us to buy.  

Its like going to Micky Dees.  We NEEEEEEEED to supersize everything.   We need just about all the shytty phoquing tech in our most basic of transportational cars.   

Maybe with inflation being sky high as it is, maybe we could live life a little bit more humble?

 But nah!   That will never happen as we American and Canadian consumers are spoiled phoquing little brats!!! 

 

But we sure like to whine a lot, dont we???!!!

PS:  Canuck rock RULES!!!  

[G. David Felt]

16 hours ago, Carguy said:

So by the time this "new" Bolt comes out the $$$ will have lost more of its value making it as expensive as the EV Equinox! For those that believe cars have become to expensive?---You have seen NOTHING YET!!!

Totally disagree with you that by the time the Ultium Bolt comes out, the price will still be the entry level price point in the product roadmap.

Buying ICE today is like building a horsebarn in the early 1900's, time to move forward with the ages especially when EV is not that expensive when you look at the ATP of what people are paying for ICE Trucks.

ATP or average transaction price for GM, Ford and RAM for trucks are as follows:Q2 2023 ATP

• GMC Sierra - $71,924
• Ram 1500 - $68,273
• Ford F-series - $66,013
• Toyota Tundra - $63,232
• Chevy Silverado - $59,588

GMC Pickups ATP Highest In Full-Size Segment In Q2 2023 (gmauthority.com)

 

FUD on the whole EVs are too expensive when you look at the ATP of ICE autos.

[riviera74]

It will take somewhat lower prices in order to get a lot more people to switch from ICE to EVs.  If people are paying the same ATPs on EVs as ICE equivalents, they will stick with ICE.

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, riviera74 said:

It will take somewhat lower prices in order to get a lot more people to switch from ICE to EVs.  If people are paying the same ATPs on EVs as ICE equivalents, they will stick with ICE.

We will see as GM has plenty of booked orders, be interesting to see how many actually get converted into real purchases and if we end up with EV inventory sitting on the lot, then we will see a deeper discount I think. 

AS they say, we are in interesting times. Kia EV9 is a game changer for sure.