10 Best Things About the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Chevrolet Bolt hit the market as a revolutionary electric vehicle. In 2017, its 238-mile range beat every competitor by triple digits. It also had a host of thoughtful displays about its range and efficiency, in an era where few competitors had figured out big digital screens. 

As Chevrolet rolled out bigger, more advanced, and more expensive EVs, the little Bolt hatchback fell by the wayside. Production ended in 2023. But Chevy’s larger electric vehicles haven’t sold as well as it hoped. At $35,000 and up, there are too many EVs chasing the same customers. 

So now the Bolt is back. The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, a tall hatchback, shares its body with the SUV-esque Bolt EUV model sold in 2022 and 2023. But under the familiar skin, it has a new battery, a new motor, faster and more convenient charging, and a new interior. We just spent a week testing the reinvented Bolt. Here are our 10 favorite things about this affordable EV. 

1. America’s Lowest-Cost EV

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt has a starting sticker price of $27,600 (plus a mandatory $1,395 destination charge). That’s the lowest sticker price of any EV in America except the Fiat Topolino, a two-seater that goes just 19 mph. It undercuts its closest rival, the Nissan Leaf, by more than $2,000. 

That money buys an LT model with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, a six-speaker stereo, a rear windshield wiper, adaptive cruise control, forward and reverse automatic braking, automatic lane-keeping and collision-avoiding steering, and an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. For $995, you can add the Comfort Package with a power driver’s seat plus heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. For another $795, the Evotex Package brings leatherette upholstery with ventilated front seats and a fold-down rear armrest, giving you a pretty nice EV for less than $30,000. Other options we’d consider include a $1,695 Technology Package with a surround-view parking camera, wireless smartphone charger, and a rearview camera mirror; and a dual-pane sunroof for $1,695. You can also pay $3,255 for Super Cruise hands-free driving, which we’ll discuss more later on. 

Our test vehicle was the upper-trim RS model. It starts at $31,600 with the Evotex and Comfort packages standard, along with roof rails, ambient interior lighting, and blacked-out wheels. The same options are also available. Even our fully loaded RS test vehicle came to a reasonable $38,940 including destination. Owners have reported scoring nice discounts from the sticker price as well. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

2. Reasonable Range

The cheapest EV in America can still cover a decent distance on a charge: 262 miles in EPA testing. That beats the 2023 Bolt EUV that shares the new Bolt’s body (247 miles) and edges out the slightly smaller 2023 Bolt EV (259 miles). 

Our test vehicle did much better. We used 73 percent of a charge to drive 221 miles, which would come to 303 miles in total. As on other EVs, range falls quickly in cold weather or at high speeds. 

The EPA projects that the Bolt gets the energy equivalent of 134 mpg in the city and 106 mpg on the highway, which comes to 120 MPGe combined. That means 3.6 miles per kWh of electricity used. We averaged 4.3 miles per kWh during our week with the Bolt, though previous drivers had averaged 3.7 miles per kWh – meaning their range was also right in line with the EPA estimate, despite warm weather. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

3. Much Faster Charging

A big downside to the old Bolt was slower battery charging than the competition. Even a Level 3 fast-charging station would start charging slower at around 55 percent of a charge. A road trip meant lots of stops to top off the battery to 55 percent or hour-plus stops to get a higher charge. 

The 2027 Bolt still isn’t the fastest-charging EV on the market. But it has gotten much quicker. According to Chevrolet, it goes from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in as little as 25 minutes. That’s 183 miles of EPA range. The new Bolt uses a Tesla-style NACS charging port, though it can also accept a CCS charger via an adapter. For maximum charging speed, use the car’s built-in Google-based GPS system to navigate to a charger; the Bolt will recognize your intentions and precondition the battery. 

As with other EVs, Level 3 charging is an expensive proposition. The Bolt’s best value comes when you can recharge at home for a fraction of the price – and without needing to wait at a public charging station. Using a 240-volt “Level 2” car charger, you can completely fill the battery within eight hours. Even plugging the car into a 120-volt household outlet will get you about 3 miles of charge per hour. If you get home from work at 6 p.m. and leave at 8 a.m., that’s enough to fully recover 42 miles of range – 50 percent more than the average American round-trip commute. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

4. Restyled Exterior

From the outside, the 2027 Bolt looks almost identical to the 2023 Bolt EUV. It’s a tall hatchback with a longer, less stubby nose than the original Bolt EV. You'd have to be a Bolt expert to spot this year's changes, but we like them: The new Bolt’s revised front end is slightly more conventional than the old EUV's. It now looks more like it has a grille rather than Tesla-style empty space. And around back, the subtly reshaped taillights now include brake lights and turn signals; the old EUV had tucked away those key functions in the rear bumper.

We’re relieved that unlike many EVs, the Bolt sticks with simple mechanical door handles rather than fussy electronic ones. The Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Bolt's top competitor, the recently redesigned Nissan Leaf, both have retractable door handles. They look sleek, but they're more annoying to use and might not age well.

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

5. Modernized But Easy-to-Use Interior

While Chevy didn’t do much to the Bolt’s exterior, the dashboard is all new. And while the angular new dash isn’t luxuriously finished, but to us, it looks better than the old model’s indifferent curves. It’s honest about its simplicity, and the 11.3-inch touchscreen fits naturally. Better still, you get a full set of buttons and knobs for most common functions. It’s not nearly as upscale as the Nissan Leaf, but it’s more user-friendly. 

We don’t love going through a touchscreen to control the headlights or regenerative braking, though. And while some EV owners love having their car switch on and off automatically, our Bolt sometimes needed persuading that it was time to shut down. For ourselves, we like a start-stop button. 

Our bigger objection is the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring. Chevy wants you to use the built-in Google system, downloading apps directly to the car and (after eight years) paying a subscription fee. Using the built-in GPS has some advantages, like battery preconditioning, but we’d rather have a choice. The old Bolts did. In another change, for better and for worse, the new 11-inch digital gauge cluster is bigger and more conventional than the old EUV’s little square screen. Still, while you can customize it to show a wider variety of information and display styles, the old EUV highlighted your remaining range more clearly. 

So overall, we’re fans of the new Bolt’s honest, functional interior as long as you aren’t looking for luxury or beauty. But a few detail changes – and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – would have improved it further. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

6. High Seating Position

The Bolt is a little car, measuring just 170 inches long. It’s almost 4 inches shorter than a Nissan Leaf and nearly 2 feet shorter than a Chevy Equinox EV. But you still sit up high, giving an SUV-like forward view along with easy entry and exit. 

The Bolt’s front seats are narrow. Not everyone will fit comfortably, and the Leaf’s cushions are more supportive. But we do appreciate how they’re widely available with both heating and ventilation. Along with the heated steering wheel, these features are especially useful for an EV. They use less range than running the heater to warm up the entire cabin. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

7. Space for People and Cargo

As we mentioned, the Bolt isn’t big. But it’s tall. That gives it generous headroom despite the high seating position – including for rear passengers, who get less space in the sleeker Nissan Leaf. As a reminder, the 2027 Bolt shares its body with the old Bolt EUV rather than the smaller Bolt EV; that gives it a longer wheelbase with more rear legroom. We only wish there were more foot space under the front seats. 

For cargo, the Bolt includes 16 cubic feet of luggage space behind its rear seat. That’s not a ton, even if you use a deep well under the removable cargo floor. Chevy prioritized rear legroom over maximum cargo room, positioning the back seat close to the back of the vehicle. But folding down the rear seat opens 56 cubic feet, as much as a subcompact SUV.

The 2027 model brings more space for small items, after Chevy removed the console-based gear selector in favor of a stalk on the steering column. The result is bigger cupholders and cubbies in the center console, with slats that you can remove and reposition to choose your size. The console is narrow, since this is a small car, but the Bolt makes good use of the available space. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

8. Zippy Acceleration

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt has a single electric motor that makes 210 horsepower and 169 lb-ft of torque. That’s not the wild speed associated with higher-end EVs. But like the Nissan Leaf, it’s enough to bring this little car to 60 mph in about 7 seconds – much quicker than gas-powered small cars. If you spot a gap in traffic, you just put your foot down and you’re there. 

Plus, many affordable small cars sound strained when you rev their gas engines. Not so with the Bolt. It’s drama-free – neither bothering your passengers nor advertising your acceleration to fellow drivers.

Every Bolt has front-wheel drive, like the Nissan Leaf. Some affordable EVs bring a second electric motor for the rear wheels, creating all-wheel drive. That makes them more powerful while improving traction in slippery conditions. But they also cost more than the Bolt. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

9. Smooth Ride, Agile Handling

The Bolt isn’t a high-end luxury car with a sophisticated suspension. Nonetheless, it rides comfortably despite agile handling. It cruises over bumps without hard, crashing slams. Partial credit goes to its 18-inch wheels; many rivals get dressed up with bigger wheels that give them bumpier rides (and shorter ranges). Also, because the Bolt is a small car with a low center of gravity – thanks to the big battery under its floor – it’s able to handle well, too. 

The Nissan Leaf has a stiffer ride than the Bolt. But while you feel bumps a little more sharply, the Nissan feels heavier and more substantial, lending it a more premium feel. And the Bolt’s steering isn’t super-precise. Still, especially paired with the punchy acceleration, this is a fun little car to drive. And it’s comfortable, too. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt

10. Hands-Free Driving

General Motors has the most effective hands-free driving tool, Super Cruise, on the market. It handles acceleration, braking, steering, and even changing lanes to overtake slower traffic on 700,000 miles of pre-mapped North American highways. Drivers are invited to leave their hands in their laps, as long as they keep their eyes on the road and are ready to intervene if needed. It costs $3,255 to add three years of Super Cruise to the Bolt, then a monthly subscription fee (currently $40) to continue using it. 

Tesla’s competing Full Self Driving (FSD) feature costs $99 a month after a 30-day trial, but with no upfront fee. FSD drives the car to a selected destination, including along city streets and parking lots. The Bolt tells you to “change lanes to follow route,” but it won’t make the turn for you or operate outside of highways. Simpler adaptive cruise control and hands-on steering assistance remain available when you drive your Bolt on other roads, but they're no different from what you find on almost any new car.

Super Cruise’s key advantage over Tesla's FSD is that you don’t have to keep your hands on the steering wheel when it’s running. FSD requires hands on the wheel, even if the wheel does more on its own. 

2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS ・ Photo by Brady Holt