2027 Chevy Bolt: What's It Like to Live With?

Chevy's affordable EV is back for a limited time, so we picked one up for a year of testing

written by Steven Ewing
edited by Kathleen Clonts
6/22/2026
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What's new: Chevrolet brought the subcompact Bolt EV back for 2027, and we added one to our One-Year Road Test fleet.
Why it matters: The Bolt is one of the few new EVs you can buy for less than $30,000. As tested, ours stickers at $29,990.
Edmunds says: The Bolt is a great alternative to vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy's own Equinox EV. How will it fare over a year? Read on to find out.

The Chevy Bolt is back! After initially discontinuing this little electric runabout, Chevrolet decided to bring the Bolt back for a limited time. It's one of the few ways to get an EV for less than $30,000 these days, and after being impressed with the Bolt's performance at our track and on the Edmunds EV Range Test, we decided to bring one home for a full year of thorough testing to see what the reborn Bolt is like to live with day to day.

Jump to:

What we bought and why
Tested: Here's how our Bolt performed
How is the Bolt's real-world range?
Tech troubles from day one

What we bought and why

The base 2027 Bolt costs $28,995 including a mandatory destination charge, but you can easily crest $40,000 for an RS model with options like charging adapters, Super Cruise hands-free driving assist, a wireless charging pad and more. We wanted to keep it simple — and cheap — so we went for a Bolt LT and only added the Comfort package, which includes a power driver's seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. That brings the as-tested price of this Bolt to a cool $29,990. Not bad in a world where the average new car transaction price is hovering around $50K.

(Full disclosure: Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purpose of evaluation.)

Going for the standard Bolt LT versus the RS doesn't affect this car's performance. Every Bolt comes with a 65-kWh battery pack and a single electric motor on the front axle, producing 210 horsepower and 169 lb-ft of torque. Our tester rolls on 17-inch wheels and the whole thing looks pretty snazzy in Marina Blue.

Inside, the Bolt is a mixed bag. We love that the 11-inch digital gauge cluster and 11.3-inch infotainment display are standard, but we hate that — like General Motors' other EVs — Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not supported. Our Bolt has cloth seats, enough space for five passengers, and a small but useful cargo area. It ought to be a solid little runabout. We look forward to living with it for 12 months.

Tested: Here's how our Bolt performed


2027 Chevrolet Bolt LT	Edmunds test results
Battery	65 kWh
Motors	one
Power	210 hp
Torque	169 lb-ft
Transmission	single-speed automatic
Driveline	front-wheel drive
Weight	3,804 pounds
0-30 mph	3.3 seconds
0-45 mph	5.0 seconds
0-60 mph	7.1 seconds
0-75 mph	10.0 seconds
Quarter mile	15.2 seconds @ 94.2 mph
Lateral grip (200-foot skidpad)	0.84 g
60-0 mph braking	124 feet
Sound level at idle	33.4 dB
Sound level at 70 mph	66.5 dB

How is the Bolt's real-world range?

EPA-estimated range: 262 miles
Edmunds-tested range: 290 miles
EPA-estimated efficiency: 28 kWh / 100 miles
Edmunds-tested efficiency: 26.2 kWh / 100 miles

Tech troubles from day one

"Since there’s no CarPlay or Android Auto in GM's electrics, the Bolt relies entirely on the Google Built-In system. That system requires some sort of internet connection to work, and our Bolt's connection is wonky at best. When I first got into the Bolt there was no map. Nothing. I could add an address if I wanted to, but there was nothing but a blank screen, and there was no data connection of any sort so voice programming and even traffic info was a no-go. Luckily I know my way home, and the next day the map was back, but with only a 2G connection. That gave me a map to look at and traffic info, but was otherwise functionally useless for anything else." — Keith Buglewicz

Read the full story here.

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by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

edited by Kathleen Clonts

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.

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