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The 2027 Chevy Bolt is the McRib of the automotive world Tim De Chant 6:00 AM PDT · March 9, 2026 Few products attract a cult-like obsession like this one. Even after being off the menu for years, true fans yearn for its return, their devotion bordering on an almost cult-like obsession. Well, they’re in luck. It’s back for a limited time only.
Like McDonald’s McRib, there are a few theories that might explain the Bolt’s reappearance.
GM’s electric vehicle parts bin has grown since the previous Bolt was introduced in 2016, helping the new model’s finances pencil out, just like how the McRib’s sporadic availability might be explained by low pork prices . It also doesn’t hurt that many Bolt owners, like McRib aficionados , are rabid fans, including some inside GM. The reality can probably be found somewhere in between.
When the company realized it had an 18-month production gap at its factory in Fairfax, Kansas, executives signed off on the little EVs revival.
Unlike the McRib, the new Bolt doesn’t rigidly adhere to the original recipe. But there is enough that’s familiar in the new model to please its die-hard fans. TechCrunch got an up close look and test drive of the upcoming Chevy Bolt during a recent press trip, which GM provided the travel and accommodations for.
GM started with the chassis and the body panels from the Bolt EUV — a subtly puffed up version of the old Bolt — and redesigned the front and rear bits. It tweaked the suspension and some of the front chassis, but by and large it’s the same basic metal.
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What’s missing? Most drivers will notice the absence of CarPlay and Android Auto, which is now missing from all new GM vehicles. The previous Bolt was one of GM’s only EVs with screencasting, and its omission is likely to cause more than a few gripes among current owners. To ease the pain, they’ve added Spotify and Apple Music apps. They help, but only a bit — the native apps were less responsive to my inputs than their CarPlay cousins.
There were also revisions to the headlights and taillights; but the stars of the show are the battery, the motor, and Super Cruise.
The new 65 kilowatt-hour battery is GM’s first to use lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP). Power from it flows through a new battery management system to an electric motor plucked from the front-wheel drive Chevy Equinox.
The battery swap is significant. For years, American automakers have had their sights set on LFP. The chemistry eliminates critical minerals like cobalt and nickel, slashing the cost. LFP batteries also don’t suffer from degradation when being charged repeatedly to 100%. Previous Bolt owners were encouraged to limit their daily charging to 80%, reserving the last fraction for road trips. (That’s even before battery fires sparked a recall that forced owners to do so for an extended period of time.)
LFP cells also discharge pretty consistently, maintaining full power closer to 0% state of charge than before.
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