The 2027 Chevy Bolt is the McRib of the automotive world | TechCrunch

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.

It’s not the McRib, but the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt.

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 EV’s 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, for which GM provided the travel and accommodations.

Something old, something new

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.

Some of the plastic inside has been refined, though there are still enough hard surfaces to remind you that this is the cheapest EV for sale in the U.S. today. Prices start at $28,995, including the destination fee, which is a good deal considering the state of the car market. Don’t get too excited, though, because a loaded Bolt can cost more than $40,000, at which point the warm fuzzies start to fade.

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.

In the new Bolt, the motor makes 200 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque. The latter is down a bit from the previous model, but it feels peppy enough around town.

Kris Keary, chief engineer for EV propulsion systems, told me that’s because the new motor can spin faster and more efficiently, allowing the team to spec shorter gearing. At the wheels, torque is actually a little higher, meaning that Chevy expects the new Bolt to travel from zero to 60 mph a touch faster than before.

Longer range

Between the new motor and the more efficient power electronics, Chevy was able to find an additional 15 miles of range, Keary said. Even with the smaller battery, it can travel farther, a total of 262 miles.

The power electronics also mitigate an issue previous owners had with the car: charging speed. Though the previous Bolt produced road trip-worthy range figures, its charging speed was far from inspiring at 50 kW. Adding 200 miles of range took about an hour or so.

Now, charging from 10% to 80% should take 25 minutes, according to GM. The 400-volt pack can accept up to 150 kW, though one person on the press drive I attended briefly saw 157 kW at a Tesla Supercharger. (Yes, the Bolt is now equipped with the North American Charging Standard [NACS], though plug-and-charge on the Tesla network is coming later this year.) I wasn’t quite so lucky, seeing just 115 kW in ideal 70˚ F weather. My total charge time was 24 minutes from 24% to 80%. Not quite what Chevy was hoping for, but not bad either.

Faster charging paired with Super Cruise means this little fella has the potential to be a decent road tripper or commuter car. Front and back seats are roomy and comfortable enough, though there’s zero toe room under the front seats. The trunk is decently sized for a subcompact, but it won’t fit more than a few carry-on bags.

Super Cruiser

As Chevy representatives continually reminded us, the Bolt is the cheapest hands-free vehicle on the market today, though you’ll want to double check the menu because it requires a very specific order — “LT + Comfort + Evotex + Tech + Super Cruise.” Cheap is a relative term these days, of course. It will still set you back $35,655.

To test Super Cruise, I ran a short 14-mile loop up and down the 101 northwest of Los Angeles. The Level 2 ADAS system handled midafternoon traffic well, automatically changing lanes when I approached a slow-moving vehicle. I didn’t even have to look at the mirror to confirm, which BMW requires, for example. But Super Cruise will buzz your left or right glute to give you a heads up. Oh, hey now! What’s that! Oh, lane change incoming.

As before, Super Cruise will only work on routes GM has mapped, which includes freeways and some two-lane highways. If your route requires an exit or interchange, it’ll do its best to get you into the necessary lane before asking you to take over. On my drive, it became flustered a few times by cars coming up fast in a lane to the right of the car, aborting the move. I found it more aggressive when it wanted to find the passing lane. (You can always nudge it to change lanes by hitting the turn signal.)

This is the point where Chevy defends its decision to eliminate screencasting tools like CarPlay and Android Auto from its vehicles. The Bolt’s Android Automotive-based infotainment system is shared with other GM EVs. That means its navigation system can talk to the battery management system, warming the battery up before fast charging, and Super Cruise, allowing the Bolt to perform its lane-changing magic as it approaches your exit.

Super Cruise will still cost you. Because Chevy requires a lot of options before you can get hands-free driving, the feature adds more than 20% to the base price, requiring owners to shell out $35,655. Is it worth another $6,600, plus the cost of OnStar after the three-year trial expires? Depends on how often you think you’ll use it. For long-haul commuters, the addition could be the stress-reducer that adds a few years to their life expectancy. Everyone else? Probably not.

I’d wager that most new Bolt buyers already know they’re going to buy a Bolt. They either have one parked in their garage or have a soft spot for small EVs.

Chevy is betting there’s enough of them that it’ll sell out after about two years. After that, the automaker won’t commit to another run. But who knows? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Just ask any McRib fan.

Update 11 a.m. ET: Both trims have an EPA-rated range of 262 miles, not 255 miles for the RS as Chevy previously stated. Ideal charging times are 25 minutes for 10% to 80%, not 24 minutes from 10% to 90%.