Report confirms the Chevrolet Bolt will be discontinued by 2028 to avoid factory idleness

Well, it’s official – the Chevrolet Bolt EV is being discontinued by GM in 2028.

And it is being done to avoid factory idleness.

Since being originally killed off in 2023, GM announced a revival of the Bolt.

But it is now set to be relegated to the sidelines once again.

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Chevrolet Bolt revival is short-lived

When General Motors (GM) initially killed off the Chevrolet Bolt back in 2023, the announcement was met with a wave of disappointment.

This unhappiness came especially from those looking for an affordable EV.

And GM listened, with an announcement last year that the model would be returning.

Its 2027 revival was set to come with a range of upgrades, especially to range and charging times.

Unfortunately, it now appears that the revival will be short-lived.

And the bad news comes from a report from the news organisation, Bloomberg.

The report states that production of the Bolt will end by 2028.

Bloomberg’s report clarifies that the move is largely a response to the US administration’s tariff policy against China.

As you know, GM currently also operates its subsidiary brand Buick.

The 2026 Buick Envision is currently manufactured in Shanghai.

It is done so under a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).

With tariffs on the rise, GM needed to move production of the Envision back to the US.

The company is also doing the same thing for the Chevrolet Equinox.

Production is currently carried out in Mexico, but will be brought back to the US for tariff reasons.

Bolt factory won’t be left idle for very long

Speaking of US production – what will happen to the factory where the Chevrolet Bolt is currently built?

At the moment, the Chevrolet Bolt is manufactured at the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Fairfax Assembly Plant will not be sitting idle for long, though.

Because GM plans to shift production of the Buick Envision to that plant.

Even with the expiry of the $7,500 EV tax credit, the Bolt was set to be extremely affordable.

It was set to start at under the $30,000 mark – at a time when most EVs start around the $50,000 range.

The Bloomberg report does suggest that the Chevrolet Bolt could live on if it proves to be a smash hit.

But that possibility seems to be very unlikely.

It’s a shame to see an affordable model get cut so briefly into its revival.