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It’s nice to have choices, especially when it comes to electric vehicles. Chevrolet realized this and had doubts about whether the Chevy Bolt was enough to draw in green warriors. The American automaker has big plans to go fully electric, and the change from gasoline to the battery may be coming sooner than you think. 

Is one EV enough to start a revolution?

GM president Mark Reus standing in front of an orange Chevy Bolt.
GM president and a Chevy Bolt | Getty Images

So, is one EV enough to start a revolution? That’s the question that plagued Chevrolet when it came time to design the Bolt back in 2016. It wasn’t Chevy’s first electric vehicle. The EV1 had that honor back in 1996, although few people remember it, nor the Volt, produced in 2010. 

EVs weren’t prominent back then, but things have begun to change as we become more aware of climate change. Many are now making a conscious effort to combat it. This is partly how the Bolt came to be. Chevy wanted a new shiny EV to jump back into the marketplace. However, Not everyone was sure the Bolt would be enough.

According to Automotive News, Chevy had doubts that the Bolt could manage it all independently. After all, it’s a big task saving the world, and there aren’t exactly that many choices of EVs on the market.

General Motors President Mark Reuss spoke at the Automotive News Congress and stated that “The company, at that time when we launched the original Bolt, was afraid and didn’t really get behind it. We would have liked to have had a portfolio of electric vehicles to go to market with. It’s hard to put one car in market and have anybody get behind it in a sales network.”

Chevy is going green 

Hindsight proves that the Bolt was more than capable of holding its own. It may not be the best-selling EV of all time, but since Chevy decided to go affordable, it became an excellent option for green lovers who don’t have the funds to purchase Teslas or the Porsche Taycan. And Chevy isn’t done yet.

General Motors reports that Chevy plans to invest $35 billion to develop 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. The American automaker will also begin developing autonomous cars as well. The goal is to have a fully electric portfolio by 2035.  

To do this, Chevy has partnered with LG Energy Solutions to create a new battery known as the Ultium. It will be used in new vehicles going forward. Rather than going with something brand new like the Bolt, Chevy will be taking some much-beloved vehicles and making them green warriors.

The Chevy Bolt is evolving

Even though many sedans are being scrapped, the Bolt doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Instead, it’s now got a new sibling, known as the Bolt EUV. It’s an SUV based on the Bolt hatchback and is fully electric. 

It’s easy to assume that the Bolt EUV would be larger, but that’s misleading. The Bolt EUV has the same interior room as the Bolt, except for having three extra inches of legroom for passengers, but .30 inches less room in the cargo area.

As for the Bolt, it hasn’t had any earth-shattering updates over the years. The range has gone up slightly, from 238 to 259 miles, and there have been some cosmetic changes to make it look cooler. However, there have been some alarming recalls due to the Bolt catching on fire.

Chevy is moving forward with a new lineup. The much-beloved Hummer has returned as a full EV. It’s also been redesigned as a GMC Hummer pickup. Other EVs coming soon include the Chevy Silverado, Blazer, and Equinox.

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