The Chevrolet Bolt is Car and Driver’s 2026 EV of the Year
Timing is an underrated aspect of automobiles. Is a great car truly great if it arrives at the wrong moment? After a week of testing the newest battery-powered machines and evaluating them based on the value, fun, and technology they offer, along with mission fulfillment, we determined that the year’s best new EV also happens to be the most accessible option. Just as an affordability crisis is affecting swaths of new-car buyers, the Chevrolet Bolt, perfectly timed with a substantial number of features given its low price, stood above the fray to nab our EV of the Year accolade.
Affordability is relative, of course. One person’s inexpensive goods are another’s out-of-budget treasures. Nevertheless, at a time when the average price of a new car hovers around $50K, the 2027 Bolt’s $28,995 base price makes it about as budget-friendly as a new car can be.
This isn’t new positioning; the Bolt has always been a low-priced option among electric vehicles, with the outgoing 2023 model—the final year before its hiatus—starting at $27,495. The reborn Bolt may cost more on paper, but adjust for inflation, and it undercuts its predecessor by over $1000. The price cut is even more pronounced if you’re comparing the new car to the old Bolt EUV, from which the ’27 model borrows its body panels and underpinnings, even if it skips the EUV nomenclature.
Read more: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a71920044/chevrolet-bolt-ev-of-the-year-2026/