General Motors is getting rid of the Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV, even though they are some of the least expensive electric cars on the market. The Equinox EV, a small SUV that costs $30,000, will soon take its place, but many people are already angry that GM is getting rid of its first and least expensive electric car. They can get upset about anything, though. In a recent interview with NPR, Mary Berry, the CEO of the Detroit car company, was told that it was likely that the car would come back for a third version. She said that the Bolt was cancelled mostly because its battery technology was outdated and that a comeback is possible given the car’s name value. When asked why they stopped making the car, Barra answered quickly. “It’s our second-generation technology,” she told NPR. “And between our second generation and our third generation, which is Ultium, the battery price has decreased by 40%.” Barra then talked about a third-generation car to avoid answering the question. “There is a lot of loyalty and trust in Bolt,” she said, adding quickly, “I don’t talk about future product programs, so I can’t say more.” That is a vital sign. Even though the Bolt is GM’s most famous electric car, it doesn’t make money. Even with the 40% lower cost of batteries, third-generation vehicles built on the Ultium architecture are expected to pay for themselves in the middle of the next decade. It’s important to know that the Bolt had a total battery pack recall, meaning thousands of cars had to pay a lot of money to change their batteries. Even though Panasonic, which made the battery cells for the car, paid for a big part of the cost, it was still a PR problem for GM. The Bolt needs to be updated in terms of money. Because its battery technology is old, it can only charge at 50 kW, while the most modern EVs can charge at 350 kW. GM recently announced it would switch from the Bolt’s CCS charge port to Tesla’s NACS connector, showing that the old EV needs to be replaced. If slow charging isn’t a problem, the Bolt twins are still being made and qualify for all the tax breaks for electric vehicles. They are among the least expensive EVs you can buy and can go about 250 miles. Also, they are not the best part.
