2026 Chevy Bolt: Just As Cheap, But Actually Profitable For GM

General Motors on Tuesday served up some fresh details about the next-generation 2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV at its Investor Day. Notably, GM President Mark Reuss said the new Bolt will cost about as much as the now-discontinued 2023 model, while also being profitable for the company. 

"The 2026 Bolt will offer the same value as the original Bolt and much more. And it will be a money maker for us. Think about that," Reuss said. 

The new Bolt will go on sale in late 2025 as a 2026 model, he said. While the final price isn't set in stone, Reuss said the new Bolt will cost only "slightly" more than the 2023 Bolt EUV crossover, which started at $28,795. 

Moreover, that roughly-$30,000 model will just be one member of a "family" of Bolts, Reuss said. That family will include an even cheaper option. This is all good news for potential EV buyers who have been patiently waiting on the sidelines for more affordable models to arrive. 

Reuss took the opportunity to take a dig at Ford, which has said it established a scrappy "skunkworks" team in California to develop its cheaper, next-generation EV technology. 

"We don't need to create a skunkworks to create affordable electric vehicles. We know how to do this," he said. 

Legacy automakers such as GM have struggled to make EVs profitably as they contend with relatively low production volumes and high upfront investments. That's changing gradually for GM, as it scales up manufacturing of its next-generation electric vehicles. On Tuesday, the automaker said it was on track to produce 200,000 EVs in North America this year. Inexpensive, mainstream models like the new Bolt and recently-introduced Chevy Equinox EV should drive volume growth further. 

GM axed the long-running Bolt EV hatchback (and its sibling, the Bolt EUV crossover) in 2023, eliminating one of the U.S. EV market's most affordable options. Later, it decided to revive the model. 

Reuss on Tuesday said it was too early to go into specifics about the new Bolt, but said it would have "the latest technology and faster charging."