2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The 2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV is an upcoming battery electric vehicle. Expected to launch for the 2026 model year, the 2026 Bolt EV will represent the second generation of the Bolt EV nameplate.

Quick Facts

Model Year(s)	2026
Platform	BEV2 with some BEV3 components
Battery	Ultium Batteries (Lithium Iron Phosphate / LFP)
Motor(s)	Ultium Drive Motors
Drive wheels	Front-wheel-drive
Vehicle Assembly Location	GM Fairfax Plant, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
Battery Assembly Location	GM Ultium Cells plant
Body Style	Five-door subcompact crossover SUV
Availability	U.S.A., Canada, select export markets

Chronology & Expectations

Back in June 2023, GM Authority asked whether GM is working on a second-generation Bolt EV, based on comments from GM CEO Mary Barra. Then in March 2024, Barra revealed that the next-gen Bolt EV will arrive in “a little more than a year” putting the launch timeframe for mid-2025 as a 2026 model year vehicle.

Unlike the first-generation Bolt EV, which did not use Ultium battery cells or Ultium Drive motors, the second-generation, 2026 model will adopt both technologies. However, the 2026 Bolt EV will not be a clean sheet design. Instead, it will largely be based around the first-gen Bolt EUV, but with Ultium Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries and Ultium Drive motors, along with updated styling (see “Renderings” section below).

The decision to carry over the Bolt EUV as the second-gen Bolt EV, but with Ultium propulsion, makes sense given that the Bolt EUV was a relatively new vehicle, having been introduced for the 2022 model year, thereby featuring a modern interior and a size that was “just right” compared to the overly small size of the first-gen Bolt EV.