Chevy Bolt update postponed by one year
General Motors is postponing the 2021 launch of the revised fully-electric Chevrolet Bolt by one year due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The new Chevy Bolt will therefore not be offered until model year 2022.
At their ‘EV Day’ for investors in early March, the Group announced the revised Bolt for the end of 2020. The plan has now been overturned, as a GM spokesperson confirmed. “Due to the current business situation, we have decided to launch the updated Bolt EV in 2021 as a model for 2022,” the spokesperson said.
The revised model is apparently intended to change points in the interior that had received criticism by customers. The seats will be more comfortable, the plastic-dominated dashboard will be of higher quality and the infotainment system will be modernised. New cameras in the windshield will enable adaptive speed control, but the semi-autonomous ‘Super Cruise’ system is unlikely to be offered. There will also be changes to the gear selector lever and a sportier steering wheel. The look is supposed to be more sporty with changes to the front and rear. Nothing has been revealed about a fundamental update of the drive system.
The Bolt EV was last revised for the 2020 model year: With a larger battery (66 from 60 kWh) the range increased by around 34 kilometres.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, production is currently still suspended at the Orion plant where the Bolt is assembled. The exact impact of the production break on deliveries for the 2020 model year is not yet foreseeable. Most recently, GM had offered the slightly outdated model at high discounts, with leasing rates starting at 199 dollars per month.
However, nothing will change with regard to the planned launch of the Bolt-derivative Bolt EUV in 2021. With regard to plans for the launch of the electric models GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Cruise Origin and Ultium batteries, GM expects “little or no impact”.
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