The last time we saw the Chevrolet Bolt, the littlest Chevy EV could manage just over 250 miles of range when fully charged. Considering the competition at the time, it was a pretty impressive number for a vehicle with such a small footprint and small price. Times are changing rapidly, however, and more affordable EVs are pushing into the market all the time.
While the new 2027 Bolt LT’s 262 miles to a charge isn’t a huge jump over the last model, at $29,990 to start, its price makes it more than worth considering if you’re in the market for a solid, cheap compact electric SUV. In fact, it will be the cheapest new EV on the market when it goes on sale shortly. As a comparison, the 2026 Nissan Leaf S Plus starts at $31,485 and gets around 288 miles with its 18-inch wheel option. Keep in mind that the new Leaf comes with a 75-kWh battery pack while the Bolt is working with a 65-kWh capacity pack. The only other vehicle in the price range vicinity of the Chevy is the 2025 Fiat 500e that starts at $32,495, but it’s a much smaller vehicle with a smaller 42-kWh and only 149 miles of range.
There’s another advantage that the 2027 Bolt will have over its 2023 version. Thanks to GM’s adoption of the NACS charger port, the smallest Chevy EV will be the first Bow Tie brand to natively be able to charge off a Tesla Supercharger. It will also charge faster on a DC fast charger as it will accept up to 150 kW of power. That’s 2.5 times faster than before and will mean the 2027 Bolt will go from 10 to 80 percent charge in just 25 minutes, according to Chevy. Previously, it could take 40 to 75 minutes as you waited for that pokey 50-kW peak charge to fill up that same 65-kWh battery pack.
All of this is welcome news for the cheapest new EV you can buy today. More range, faster charging, and you’re spending under $30,000 for the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt. The only other competitors that could potentially undercut the Chevy are the Slate Truck EV pickup and what Ford may be able to achieve with a new vehicle derived from its Universal EV platform, both of which are still in various stages of development. If you’re wanting a new, cheap, all-electric vehicle, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt is your only choice. And you’re getting a better deal than you did in 2023.
