We’ve dedicated many words to the future Chevrolet Bolt EUV over the past few months, but we have not yet seen the vehicle in the flesh – until now.
What we have here are the very first spy shots of the Bolt EUV as it undergoes testing. Though we have previously brought you spy photos of what we believed was the Bolt EUV, the model in those pictures was actually the Bolt EUV’s China-only platform mate – the Buick Velite 7 (well-played, GM camouflage folks – well played, indeed). So then, let’s dive right in to see what this upcoming Chevy EV is all about.
The front end features a layout that takes after Chevrolet’s newest crossovers – the Blazer and Trailblazer. Thin upper headlamps do double-duty as daytime running lamps and signature accent lights, while the circular lights beneath them serve the primary forward lighting units.
Much like the current Bolt EV, the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt EUV has a relatively large windshield and expansive daylight openings (side windows). Though the camo obfuscates the majority of the character lines on the front doors, we can still clearly see the upward curvature at the rear doors. Also take note of the wheels: we haven’t seen this design on prior prototypes of GM electric vehicles. There’s also a set of longitudinal roof rails for affixing a roof rack. According to GM Authority intel, a dual-pane sunroof will be an option to slot between those rails.
The rear end has the most amount of camo, serving as a tell-tale sign that something of interest is being hidden in that area. We’ve also learned that a hitch-mounted bike rack will be offered on this vehicle.
The upcoming Chevrolet Bolt EUV will essentially be a longer version of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with the overall length growing by about three inches (the Bolt EV is 164 inches long). Compared to the Bolt EV, the EUV will have more interior space, particularly for second-row passengers, as well as more cargo room.
Another update to the interior will be a new instrument panel and center stack compared to the current Bolt EV. As GM Authority was first to report, the Bolt EV will also adopt this new interior design, along with new seats, to boot.
The Bolt EUV will ride on the GM BEV2 platform shared with the Bolt EV. The drivetrain will be the same as that on the current Bolt EV, with a single motor making 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque sending power exclusively to the front wheels.
Due to the EUV’s slightly larger size, it will weigh more than the Bolt EV, causing range to drop slightly compared to the Bolt EV’s 259 mile-range. However, the Chevrolet Bolt EUV will benefit from faster Level 2 charging thanks to a more robust 11 kW charging inverter (the Bolt EV has a 7.2 kW system). That’s slower than most newer rivals, and is a limitation of the BEV2 architecture. The new GM BEV3 platform and its Ultium battery packs will be capable of much faster charging times.
The highlight of the Bolt EUV, however, will be its Super Cruise system, making the upcoming electric crossover the first non-Cadillac vehicle to utilize the Level 2 semi-autonomous system. GM has plans to expand the availability of Super Cruise to a total of 22 vehicles by 2023, including 10 by 2021.
Original timetables called for the Chevrolet Bolt EUV to launch in the summer of 2020 as a 2021 model year vehicle. It’s unclear whether that timeline is still in force, given the COVID-19 pandemic. Production will take place at the GM Lake Orion plant, which is also home to the Bolt EV.
“EUV” is believed to stand for “electric utility vehicle.” GM filed to trademark the name in the third quarter of 2019, as first reported by GM Authority.
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Comments
its a-bolt freakin time GM came out with a Bolt CUV… 🙂
in time for what?
the economy is in tatters. gas is dirt cheap. EVs are expensive compared to a comparable ICE vehicle and GM doesn’t have any more tax credits.
this has all the hallmarks of chevy’s current design language. it is nice but not enough to stand out from the crowd.
add that all up and this will sell in low numbers.
A-Bolt time for a CUV vs econo box. The Volt, Volt II and Bolt are all ‘econo-boxes” when the market is SUV / CUV. Get it?
At the end of the day neither of the 3 had stylilng compelling enough to generate strong sales regardless of their other attributes. GM has GOT to get their act together from a styling perspective, but I won’t hold my breath. They do nothing world class… except crappy “jet black” plasitic interiors…
GM owner here – yes GM is world-class in making crappy jet-black plasic interiors…….but now they are expanding that color pallette to vinyls and leahter too….
Why give an EV nose-heavy, FWD proportions? Is not front overhang typically an unfortunate packaging byproduct of shoving a transverse ICE/transmission ahead of the front axle? Since EVs eliminate that problem, what is the reason for all the forward bulk on this EV… even if it is FWD?
I’m sure the fully-unveiled Bolt EUV will look snappy but its profile and proportions unfortunately fall in line with the Prius/Leaf crowd which means it will likely have difficulties appealing to non-EV purists and virtue signalers. Perhaps it is a (absolutely inexplicable) trait of BEV2 which will not afflict BEV3. In either event EVs that look dorky will struggle to penetrate the ICE market and there is nothing about this design that makes me think “gotta have it” (although Super Cruise might cause some to say those words).
It’s the second part of what you say: BEV2 is not a dedicated EV platform… but a semi-tweaked, semi-overhauled G2 from the Spark. It has a lot of unique bits, but the roots can still be traced back to the Spark.
GM’s EV onslaught with BEV3 will start in about a year and a half… at which point the nose-heavy proportions should be gone 🙂
Sonic not the Spark. The Bolt is much larger than the Spark. It’s actually the same size as the Encore/Trax which also shares the same platform with the Sonic.
The Spark, not the Sonic.
Development of the Bolt EV started out as riding on the Spark’s G2 platform. The vehicle program even carries those roots – G2UCE:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/chevrolet/bolt-ev/chevrolet-bolt-ev-platform/
Engineers have stated that the Bolt EV represented a significant departure from the second-gen Spark, so there is that. But the the second-gen Spark and the Bolt EV were developed in parallel, while the Sonic was developed before 2010.
They originally were going to put it on that platform but redesigned it completely because they couldn’t get the proportions right.
Yes, yes… we have heard this story countless times.
“There are no Bolt EV parts tied to the G2 architecture,” – lead program engineer Josh Tavel told us a few years ago.
The redesign was not over proportions, but over the battery positioning/layout. But ultimately, this is an economy car with economy car roots. That’s not to say anything bad (or good)… it’s just fact.
An affordable EV (current platform reduces cost and price), with low operational cost (what most value highest in an EV) should be a win/win as more look beyond ICE powered vehicles for their next purchase.
There’s only one “car company” that has been able to exist and (not) turn a profit over the last 12 years.
I am obviously not commenting on how this looks inside and out but where is Chevy’s Mach-E sized CUV BEV at?
This is taking GM way too long. VW will have their iD.4 and we get this slightly bigger Bolt?
GM Fans that will want EV’s soon will be forced to look elsewhere I fear.
The Lyriq will be expensive as will the Hummer. So if you wanted a Midsize EV CUV your choice are Ford Mach-E, VW iD.4, or lower end Tesla Model Y
On battery day, they unveiled a Midsize crossover that was cheaper than the Lyriq based off BEV3, so I think they have something coming in that segment too.
Well said, Adithya. That’s exactly what I’ve heard as well.
@Adithya Ramachandran
I sure hope so. What Brand was getting it?
@ Momolos: Chevrolet. No name yet.
@G8Burnout
That is great news. Hope it is far better than the Ford Mach-E as a GM fan because I hate to admit it, the Mach – E is actually (on paper) a great EV effort by Ford.
GM is taking so long because instead of slapping a battery pack on an existing platform, they developed a whole new one that supposedly is incredibly customizable in terms of size, height, and drivetrain. Because of it’s customizable nature, you can potentially base dozens of unique models off it. This will ultimately bring the cost of producing each vehicle down to where GM can actually generate a profit. Something that has eluded almost every legacy automaker producing an electric vehicle.
Yes, Ford has the Mach E coming out soon, but it’s riding on a heavily modified version of it’s compact/midsize c2 FWD platform. While the platform is somewhat modular, it was built primarily with ICE in mind and the batteries and electric motors had to be modified / custom-built to fit the existing architecture. Not that it won’t be a good car but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ford loses money on each vehicle sold like GM has on the current Bolt.
Making the cost of manufacturing as close as close to being on par with ICE vehicles is key to securing a future for EVs and GM and VW seem to be on the right track. Not Ford.
I’ll add my voice to this chorus, why another compact, or smaller EV?? What does GM sell nearly as fast as they can make them? If you guessed full sized SUVs you’re a winner! If they have the where with all to do a full size electric pickup, it shouldn’t be a big leap to do an electric SUV!
Good thing not long after the Bolt EV is released the Hummer EV will be out in the same year.
Is this the same size as the Velite 7
Yes.
What? No AWD?? This could have been a contender. Sad.
The Chevrolet Bolt isn’t that old as it first became available in late 2016 as the 2017 was the Bolt’s first production year which makes it 3+ years old; but what has made the Bolt age is it’s appearance and how small it is; the Bolt might be more successful if it featured an overall length of 175-180 inches which would make it just slightly smaller than the Equinox as giving sufficient accommodation for a family.
In my humble opinion the current Bolt needs to start at $25,000. It is tiny.
Level 2 charging at 11 kW per hour needs a 60 A circuit, and very few businesses (not even a regular home) can supply that. I wonder what ” most newer rivals” have that charging capacity. And most EV owners can charge every day even with the included Level 1 EVSE because they are smart to know how to travel without even exceeding their battery range, just like common folks do with their gas tanks. I have a 7.2 kW EVSE up and ready to use for this vehicle or for the next Ford EV., and I drive less than 50 miles a day, so I will NEVER run out of battery range.
I think the author was confused about level 2 vs. Level 3 charging. 11kW is high for level 2 charging.
The only EV I want to see out testing is the camoed up version of the Hummer. That’s it. Is that too much to ask, GM? I’ve been hoping for the Hummer’s return for years, throw me a bone already. Especially after the May 20th reveal was scrapped.
The Bolt “EUV” is just buying time until the new generation battery and platform go into production. It essentially replaces the Bolt. If the Bolt wasn’t your choice before, nothing will change. It’s a tiny bit bigger, and will be cheaper than most of the competition, but I have 2 kids and a dog, and an Equinox is just barely enough size-wise. Most people will be passing on this, and waiting for the upcoming mid-size crossovers from GM.
I agree with the comment questioning why it looks like a FWD ICE CUV with the huge front overhang. It looks super ugly and awkward. I feel like this vehicle will instantly look 10 years old next to a Tesla model Y. GM is clearly putting most of their design and engineering resources into their new platforms. This car is a definite pass, for me, though I think the new ultium cars will be stellar in a few years.
Tesla’s have huge overhangs, it makes it look more proportional and leaves room for a frunk.
I’m only interested if a gasoline engine is under the hood.
@jscott, Go suck on your car’s tailpipe with the engine running. This is an article about electrics. Gasoline is obsolete.
Wow, real classy, Raymond. Way to go getting triggered by a perfectly harmless opinion, tough guy.
China gets the solid-looking and decently proportioned Menlo.. and we get this weird, tall, and fat mess. Great.
Hmm I don’t know anyone that was complaining about the Bolt EV’s L2 charging capability. DC fast charging is the larger complaint (limited to 150A). There are not too many public L2’s that can even match the Bolt EV’s current 7.2KW 32A charger. Most public L2’s cap out at 30A. If anything a 9.6KW charger might make sense as that can run off a 50A breaker which is more common in a residential application.
Also during GM’s EV day GM made it clear that the Bolt EUV was always going to launch early 2021 as a 2022 MY. As far as I know that is still currently on track. The Bolt EV refresh was supposed to launch in late summer 2020 as a 2021MY and that has been pushed back to have similar timing to the EUV.
GM owner here – yes GM is world-class in making crappy jet-black plasic interiors…….but now they are expanding that color pallette to vinyls and leahter too….
How many threads did you post this same comment in today?