America’s Cheapest New EV Is Already on Borrowed Time

The reintroduction of the Chevrolet Bolt was a big deal last year, given the popularity of the older model and the lack of attainable EVs. Starting at just $27,600, it’s currently the cheapest new EV you can buy in the country, undercutting the most affordable Nissan Leaf by over $2,000. But the new Bolt won’t be around for long, as GM has already confirmed when the small EV will end production, confirming the manufacturer’s initial statement that this would be a limited-run model. Here’s how long you have left to buy the Bolt.

Bolt To Make Way For Gas SUV

Manufactured in Kansas, the Bolt is only expected to stick around until 2028, with a roughly 18-month production run. That’s according to a report from Bloomberg, in which GM said it will convert the Kansas plant to accommodate a gas-powered SUV from Buick. That vehicle is the Envision, which is currently being built in China. Once the Envision moves to the Kansas factory, that’ll be the end of the new Bolt.

"When we revealed Bolt in October, we said it'd be a limited-run model, which we are bringing back due to strong customer demand," a Chevrolet spokesperson told Inside EVs. "We also said it would account for the majority of EV volume for Chevrolet in 2026, alongside the Chevrolet Equinox EV. We reiterate that today."

Buick sold over 40,000 Envisions in the United States last year. Although that was down by 11%, it’s still a fairly substantial number of SUVs that remain vulnerable to the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported vehicles. Moving production to the U.S. will help Buick navigate this challenge.

Related: The Most Expensive 2027 Chevrolet Bolt Costs More Than a Tesla Model Y

Other Cheap EVs: Current and Future

Once the Bolt disappears (again), the Nissan Leaf will likely be America’s cheapest EV once more. An even more affordable Leaf trim, the Leaf S, is expected to arrive well before the Bolt goes out of production. That model should start at under $27,000; it’ll have 174 horsepower and a smaller 52-kWh battery.

Beyond the Leaf, there are precious few affordable EVs on the horizon—and only one with a planned MSRP of below $30,000. Ford’s $30,000 electric pickup is the most significant of these, while Rivian’s retro R3 will arrive in 2027, hopefully with an MSRP of under $40,000. Slate, a new brand that’s building a basic electric pickup, promises a price in the mid-$20,000 range. The Toyota C-HR and Subaru Uncharted are other upcoming electric crossovers, but at around $35k, neither will be as cheap as the Leaf.

While the new Bolt’s abbreviated production run is disappointing, the next year and a half should demonstrate consumers’ appetite for low-priced EVs, especially now that the federal tax credit has been scrapped.

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