2027 Chevy Bolt Returns at $28,995 as Cheap EVs Reload

Chevrolet just put a battery-powered hatchback on US dealer lots for $28,995 including destination, a sticker that sits $1,000 below the new Nissan Leaf S+, around $8,200 below the Fiat 500e Pop, and only $200 above the final 2023 Bolt EUV. The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt is back, and it is the cheapest electric vehicle a US buyer can order new this spring.

That headline price arrived eight months after the federal clean-vehicle tax credit expired on September 30, 2025, which makes the sub-$30K figure the actual transaction price rather than a post-rebate one for the first time in roughly four years of cheap-EV history.

The Math Behind the $28,995 Sticker

The LT base trim is the volume play. It carries the same 65 kWh battery pack, the same 11.5 kW on-board charger, and the same EPA-rated range as the more expensive RS, so the entry car loses nothing on the spec line that EV shoppers compare first. What it loses are seat heaters, ventilated cushions, a heated steering wheel, the power driver’s seat, and ambient cabin lighting.

Step up to the RS at $32,995 and those creature comforts come on. SlashGear’s review tester landed at $35,685 with a $1,495 panoramic sunroof and a $1,195 technology package adding a 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, and a rear pedestrian sensor. The optional Super Cruise hands-free system tacks on roughly $3,200 more, pushing a loaded Bolt into Honda HR-V territory.

Standard kit on the base LT runs longer than the price suggests:

• 11.3-inch centre touchscreen with Google built-in
• Adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking
• Lane departure warning and lane keep assist
• Forward collision warning
• Remote start and automatic climate control
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot

Set against the previous Bolt EUV, which closed out 2023 at $28,795 before destination, the new LT is up just $200 on the window sticker. Four years of US new-vehicle inflation has averaged roughly 6% annually, so Chevy is effectively absorbing somewhere north of $6,000 of background cost increases to hold this nameplate at its old price.

Battery, NACS, and 262 Miles of Range

The 65 kWh pack is the same chemistry GM has run in the Bolt platform since the 2022 recall reset, paired now with a single front-mounted motor delivering 210 horsepower and 169 lb-ft of torque. Output is up 10 horsepower against the last Bolt EUV but down sharply on torque, which fell from 266 lb-ft. Curb weight stays under 3,800 lbs, light for a modern EV and decisive for how the car behaves on the road.

The bigger change sits at the charge port. The new Bolt is the first sub-$30K EV sold in the US with a factory-fitted North American Charging Standard (NACS, the connector Tesla popularised and SAE later codified as J3400) socket, opening direct access to Tesla’s Supercharger network without an adapter. DC fast-charging is rated to take the pack from 10% to 80% in 25 minutes by Chevrolet’s own number, with a peak input of 150 kW.

• 65 kWh usable battery, single front-mounted motor, front-wheel drive only
• 210 hp and 169 lb-ft of torque across both LT and RS trims
• 262 miles of EPA-estimated range
• 25 minutes from 10% to 80% on a 150 kW DC fast charger

At home, the Bolt clocks in at about 4 miles of range per hour on a 120-volt outlet, or 27 miles per hour on a 240-volt feed delivering 7.7 kW. Those are the same numbers the prior generation hit; the real gain over the last car sits at the public-charging side of the equation, not the garage.

Driving the Lightest EV in the Lineup

The Bolt weighs less than a loaded Toyota Camry Hybrid and considerably less than the 4,200-lb Nissan Leaf S+. That number does most of the work in how the small Chevy feels behind the wheel. Mash the throttle from a stop and the front wheels load up cleanly, no torque-steer drama, just a flat shove forward that runs out somewhere past highway-merge speed. SlashGear’s reviewer compared the chassis feel to a Honda Fit, which has not been built since 2020, and the analogy holds; this is a genuinely happy small car.

Steering loads up predictably on a back road, the body stays flat through transitions, and the regenerative brakes offer three intervention settings (off, normal, and high), with high regen producing near-full one-pedal driving once the foot calibrates to it. There is no all-wheel-drive option. Adding a rear motor would push price, weight, and complexity, and Chevy clearly decided the math did not work at this segment.

Cabin, Cargo, and the CarPlay-Shaped Hole

Materials and Space

The cabin tells you where the money went and where it did not. There is a lot of plastic, which is the cost of meeting the price target, but the plastics feel dense rather than hollow, the seats are well-padded, and high-traffic touch points carry textured finishes that hold up against the segment. Adults fit comfortably in both rows, helped by tall side glass and a high roofline.

Cargo lands at 16.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 56.3 with the second row folded. A drop-down trunk floor adds a hidden compartment for charge cables. For a car only 169.6 inches long, those numbers are competitive with subcompact crossovers that cost five to seven thousand more.

The Tech Trade-Off

Neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto is available, on this car or on any new EV that GM has launched since 2023. The official line from Detroit frames phone projection as a distraction risk; industry analysts read the move as a play for the connected-services revenue Wall Street wants to see in the company’s filings. GM has publicly targeted roughly $25 billion in annual high-margin software revenue by the end of the decade, a number that requires data and a subscription relationship the carmaker, not Apple or Google, controls.

In place of phone mirroring, the Bolt runs Google built-in with Google Maps, charge-aware routing, and the Play Store. The interface is responsive and the maps work well. Three years of full functionality come bundled with the car, after which buyers pay a Google subscription to keep the live features alive. Drivers who rely on iMessage or WhatsApp in the cabin will find the workflow uglier than a connected iPhone would make it. The same complaint has dogged the Cadillac Lyriq and the refreshed Chevy Equinox EV lineup, suggesting GM has decided to accept the friction.

How the Bolt Compares to the Leaf and 500e

Three sub-$38K EVs share the same showroom-floor pitch this spring, and the spec sheets only tell part of the story. The Leaf S+ wins on range, the 500e loses on almost every measurable axis except urban-design appeal, and the Bolt sits at the cheapest entry point with the most usable interior volume.

The Bolt’s pricing advantage over the Leaf S+ looks nominal at $995, but the picture changes when destination fees are added and trim-mix reality lands. Most Nissan dealer allocations skew toward the SV+ and Platinum+ trims at $34,230 and $38,990 respectively, per Nissan’s official US pricing announcement. The Bolt LT is the volume trim, not the price-leader unicorn.

The 500e’s $5,200 price hike for the 2026 model year, applied while Stellantis dealers were sitting on unsold 2025 inventory discounted by as much as $15,000, takes the Italian crossover out of any direct comparison for the price-first buyer.

Why Cheap EVs Are Quietly Coming Back

Five years ago, the consensus on cheap EVs was settled. The Bolt was being recalled. The Leaf was aging out. The Mini Cooper SE was a fashion play, not a strategy. Every major OEM marketing deck was pointed at three-row crossovers above $50,000 and the high-margin software story that would bolt onto them. The bottom of the market was being conceded to gasoline.

That consensus has cracked over the last 18 months, and the cracking is loud enough now to count as a trend. Nissan rebuilt the Leaf from the ground up and held the entry price under $30K. Stellantis kept the 500e on US dealer lots even after sales softened. Sony and Honda quietly killed the premium AFEELA project earlier this year, freeing capital and engineering attention for cheaper, higher-volume bets.

Subaru’s Uncharted compact crossover is reaching dealers under $30K, and Mitsubishi has confirmed it will sell a rebadged Leaf in the US starting this summer. What is driving the rebuild is partly defensive. With the $7,500 federal clean-vehicle credit gone, every OEM with a US EV strategy now needs a sub-$35K vehicle that can sell on sticker rather than on post-rebate math.

GM’s first-quarter earnings beat in April, which sent the stock up 15% in a single trading day, was partly underwritten by management’s decision to slow the higher-priced Ultium roll-out and accelerate the Bolt’s return. The Bolt fits cleanly into that pivot.

Its return represents the visible piece of a quieter strategic reset across the industry. The next 12 months will tell whether the segment can hold its prices without the credit doing the heavy lifting. If it can, the affordable EV story stops being a footnote and starts being the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2027 Chevy Bolt Eligible for the Federal EV Tax Credit?

No. The federal clean-vehicle tax credit for new EVs expired for purchases after September 30, 2025. Buyers who signed a binding written contract and made a qualifying payment before that date may still claim it on their 2025 return per IRS guidance, but anyone walking into a Chevy dealer today and signing for a 2027 Bolt pays the full $28,995 with no federal rebate attached.

Does the 2027 Bolt Use Tesla’s Supercharger Network?

Yes. The 2027 Bolt is the first sub-$30K EV sold in the US with a factory-fitted NACS port, which means it plugs into Tesla Supercharger stalls directly without an adapter. Chevrolet quotes a 10% to 80% fast-charge time of 25 minutes at a 150 kW DC charger.

Can You Get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in the 2027 Bolt?

No. GM removed phone projection from all of its new electric vehicles starting in 2023, and the policy now covers the relaunched Bolt. The car ships with Google built-in, which includes Google Maps and the Play Store. The first three years come bundled at no extra cost; after that, full functionality requires an ongoing Google subscription.

How Does the Bolt’s Range Compare to the New Nissan Leaf?

The Bolt LT carries an EPA-estimated 262 miles of range on a 65 kWh battery. The Nissan Leaf S+ comes in at 303 miles on a larger 75 kWh battery. The Leaf wins on range; the Bolt wins on price by about $995 and on cabin volume relative to its smaller footprint.

Is the Bolt Available in All-Wheel Drive?

No. Both the LT and RS trims are front-wheel drive with a single front-mounted motor. Chevrolet has not announced an AWD variant, and the sub-$30K price target almost certainly rules one out for this generation of the car.

How Much Is Super Cruise on the 2027 Bolt?

Super Cruise is offered on the RS trim as a roughly $3,200 add-on layered on top of the optional technology package. That pushes a Super-Cruise-equipped Bolt RS to about $36,200 before any other extras, roughly a 10% premium over a standard RS.

How Does the 2027 Bolt Compare to the Old Bolt EUV?

The 2027 Bolt is mechanically a refresh of the previous Bolt EUV rather than a clean-sheet design. Horsepower is up 10, torque is down 97 lb-ft, the centre touchscreen grew to 11.3 inches, the charge port switched to NACS, and the starting price rose by just $200 against the 2023 EUV. Curb weight, cargo volume, and overall length are within an inch and a few pounds of the prior car.