Chevy’s Ultium Bolt will need these 5 things to be successful
After dropping hints earlier, today GM CEO Mary Barra announced that Chevy would be re-release its popular Chevy Bolt after it gets an Ultium makeover. The Boltium! After owning two Bolts from 2017 until today, along with other popular EVs from Tesla and others, I feel like I have a good idea of what GM needs to succeed here.
I want to say first that GM is starting with an extraordinary car in the Bolt that even today fills the needs of many EV buyers. The Bolt has been improving in sales, and this year it is doing better than ever. But GM is famous for killing its most loved EVs.
What will a new 2025 Bolt Ultium need to have to make it successful?
1. Fast NACS charging
The easiest and most likely upgrade to the current Bolt is in the fast charging area. In 2017, when most fast chargers were at 50kW, the 54kW max charging rate of the Bolt made some sense. It wasn’t future proof, but it made sense and would be a good enough experience.
However, a lot changed from 2017-2023 including the fast charging rates on most EVs getting into the 200+kW with some trucks hitting 300+kW; what didn’t change in 2023 was the Bolt’s 54kW fast charging speed.
I’m not saying the Bolt and its small car battery needs to charge at 200+kW, though it would be nice. I think having 150kW charging over half the charging cycle would allow 20-minute fast charging stops. This should be fairly easy with GM’s modular Ultium batteries, which currently charge up to 350kW and beyond on the Hummer and Silverado.
Add to that the NACS interface, which GM has already promised on its 2025 EVs, allowing the Bolt to charge at not only its current charger options but adding Tesla’s very robust and ubiquitous network. With this setup, you can pretty much kiss range anxiety goodbye. More importantly, it would allow city dwellers and folks with on street parking to use the Bolt charging more like a gas station once every week or so.
Also Bolt owners won’t get ostracized at fast charging stations if they are in and out in 20 minutes versus the current situation where they often have to stay for over an hour.
2. RWD/AWD option
For those of us that live in snowy and hilly climates, the Bolt’s FWD is something that works for 350 days out of the year. That’s fine for a third car or if you work from home, but being reliably able to get out those snow days would be a nice addition.
I’m not saying I need another 200hp motor (though that would be fun!) but even a low power 50 horsepower motor to power the other set of wheels in an emergency situation would be great and worth a few thousand dollars for those who need it. GM actually showed off a low power motor to do this exact thing at its 2020 Battery Day event.
And since we learned that the Blazer EV can be FWD, RWD or AWD, why not offer all of these options for the Bolt? If they aren’t going to make the 2x200hp version, I’d prefer my stronger motor in the rear. Oh, and how about light towing for bikes and Home Depot trailers?
3. Hot hatch proud, not another CUV
From the beginning, GM kept insisting the Bolt was an SUV, first calling it a “Micro-SUV” at launch. Because everyone wants an SUV?! Then it released the EUV version that actually looked a lot more like a typical bland SUV. That added three more inches of leg room in the back, yet somehow reduced the overall internal space.
Well guess what? Not everyone wants a big honkin’ SUV! Even if they do, Chevy has both the Equinox and the Blazer to offer.
In fact, I think GM might have been shocked back into reality at all the hype and excitement around the tiny 3.4 sec 0-60 Volvo EX30, which has remarkably similar specs to the Chevy Bolt. I imagine that really helped get the Bolt off the chopping block with something like, “We could make this with almost no effort.” In fact, Mary Barra has said that the development time of the Ultium Bolt will be much shorter than normal.
I say embrace the hot hatch form factor that the Bolt has always embodied. Maybe lower the stance a bit, make the roof flatter, the interior cleaner, and we’d have something interesting here.
4. Improve the good things, don’t remove them
GM CEO Mary Barra said that the current Bolt prices could be improved by around 20% if it were moved to Ultium platform and that should allow GM to make the car profitable with similar specs.
I actually liked Chevy’s $1000 tie-in with Qmerit to install a home charger. I, however, had a bad experience with that $1000 credit that seems to be the fault of the dealer and the communications protocol that GM set up between the dealers and Qmerit. GM should circumvent the dealers and figure out a way to make that work a lot better; that, and/or continue to offer a $500 EVgo credit which is a nice way to start up the fast charging experience.
GM recently announced it plans to end smartphone projection in its upcoming EVs. Initially my tinfoil hat came on, and I thought this was a way to slow down their EV adoption rate. After some discussions with the folks at GM, they genuinely think their overall experience will be better if they get rid of Apple and Google smartphone projection. I will say that CarPlay and Android Auto are better than what GM offers in its in-car entertainment currently, so it should continue to offer those options until customers no longer think they are necessary.
An alternative if GM thinks it can out-software Google and Apple: Just put an iPad holder in the center stack display area, and get out of the way.
5. Dealer improvements
Chevy’s dealers, in my experience, have gone from straight up EV hostile to complacent in the six years I’ve been dealing with them, which is somehow a huge improvement! I think Chevy could do a lot of good here following their cross town rivals at Ford:
- Make an EV side of the business. Dedicated salespeople who only work in EVs and experts who know them inside and out. People who actually drive EVs to work and know basic electric stuff.
- Make DC fast chargers mandatory at Chevy dealerships. Subsidize them. Not only would this help show new owners how fast they can charge first hand, it would also offer a way to get customers back to the dealerships where they can upsell all kinds of unnecessary stuff (haha). Again, Ford is doing this and will have one of the largest DC fast charging networks in the US because of it.
If GM/Chevy can manage these five things, I can almost guarantee that the already successful Bolt will do even better in Ultium form.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Schumacher Level 2 EV charger $364, NIU’s 300P electric scooter $719, Anker 90K mAh power station from $170, more
A new week kicks off with a notable power station markdown, powerful electric scooter discount, and even a level 2 EV charger. More specifically, we’ve spotted Anker’s 90,000mAh SOLIX C300 Portable Power Station at $220 alongside the DC model for $170. The others we just called out include NIU’s 300P electric scooter with a 30-mile range at $719 and Schumacher’s 40A Level 2 wall charger which can add up to ’48 miles of range per hour’ to your EV down at $364.
Head below for more and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.
Schumacher’s Level 2 wall charger adds up to ’48 miles of range per hour’ to your EV, now $364 (Reg. $500)
Over at Amazon you can currently pick up Schumacher’s 240V Level 2 Electric Vehicle Wall Charger for $363.86 shipped when you clip the on-page $50 off coupon. Routinely sold for $500, this unit has been down between $410 and $415 for a little over a month now at Amazon. Today’s offer takes things even further, with an additional $50 off. This markdown delivers the second-best price we’ve tracked, coming within $12 of the all-time low. Learn more about this charger in the details below.
If you have an EV, I personally think it’s worth investing in a level 2 charger for your home. This makes refueling your vehicle with electricity much faster than a standard level 1 unit. The brand officially claims you can expect “from 15 to 48 miles of range per hour.” This will obviously vary depending on the EV you drive, but it’s safe to say that with this unit you can head to bed and have a lot of range, or potentially a fully charged battery in the morning. Other notable perks include a 25-foot charging cable, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so you can monitor and schedule charging through the companion SchuPower app, as well as a weather-resistant enclosure.
Make summer a blast on NIU’s 300P electric scooter with 20 MPH speeds, 30-mile range, more at $719 (Save $230)
Today you can find the official NIU Global storefront at Amazon offering its KQi 300P 20 MPH 30-Mile Range Electric Scooter for $719 shipped. It’s also available at Best Buy. When this unit isn’t discounted, you’ll need to fork over as much as $949. Historically speaking, the lowest we’ve ever seen this unit go for was $650, and that was last year. In 2025, we’ve seen today’s offer beaten just once and it was $30 less than the current price, which isn’t a massive loss by any means. Both the gray and black colorways are on sale for the same amount, so feel free to pick either style. Learn more about what this scooter is capable of down below.
Powered by a 900W motor, this electric scooter can reach up to 20 MPH speeds. My go-to scooter goes just as fast and I absolutely love it. In terms of range, you can make it as far as 30 miles per charge, allowing you to comfortably wander up to 15 miles away and still make it back home. I like that this unit offers integrated suspension, which should reduce the impact of bumps when riding for a more smooth experience overall. There’s even a NIU app that you can download which paves the way for locking it, customizing its speed, viewing statistics, and more. You can even dial in a charging limit, helping reduce battery fatigue overtime which is a perk I use with my Segway.
Anker’s 90,000mAh SOLIX C300 Portable Power Station down at $220 today, DC model now $170
Update: Joining the deals on the AC/DC model below, the official Anker Amazon storefront is now delivering a another chance at Lightning deal pricing on the Anker SOLIX C300 DC Power Station with the pop-up camp lighting down at $169.99 shipped. This one carries a regular price at $250 direct from Anker where it is now matching in price and, while it has lately sold for between $190 and $200 at Amazon, is now at the lowest price we can find.
As part of its early Prime Day deals, the official Anker Amazon storefront is now offering its SOLIX C300 Portable Power Station down at $219.99 shipped. Carrying a $299 list price and typically fetching as much via Amazon over the last 4 months, this is up to $80 in savings and matching the price we are tracking on the Anker SOLIX site. Just keep in mind, that if you can put two of them to good use, the Anker site is offering a pair of them down at $399 right now, delivering an additional $40 in savings.
While this model has carried a regular price at closer to $250 since its release in 2024, pricing started to jump up at Amazon to as much as $299 back in March – the same price this model is listed at on the Anker site. Today’s deal isn’t the lowest we have tracked all-time – there have been a few drops to $209 and $189 this year – but this is the best we have seen on Amazon in last few months.
This model, at least for me, is one of the more compelling options in its price range. It maintains a relatively compact form-factor for something that carries a 90,000mAh LiFePO4 battery with up to 600W of peak power to keep your campsite and off-grid setup lit up and powered (it’s also not a bad option to have around the house in case of power outages or emergencies and the like).
You’re not going to be running an entire house on it, but it does deliver a whole lot more juice than your average power bank, plenty of connectivity options for all of your tech and small appliances, and comes along with a far more digestible price tag than some of these high-end, ultra-powerful stations that can cost thousands.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
CANNES — Robinhood stock climbed 10% to an all-time high Monday after the company rolled out tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe as part of a larger crypto rollout.
It is the company’s first move to make private equity accessible via blockchain.
The announcement, which came Monday during the company’s product showcase in Cannes, is part of a broader push to expand Robinhood’s crypto footprint globally. The tokenized assets will be available exclusively through Robinhood’s EU crypto app, where more than 200 tokenized stocks and ETFs are now tradable 24 hours a day, five days a week with no commission or spread.
OpenAI and SpaceX stand out since neither company is publicly listed, and access to their equity has historically been limited to insiders and ultra-wealthy investors.
“We wanted to make sure we were giving access,” said Johann Kerbrat, senior vice president and general manager of crypto at Robinhood. “What we discussed on stage was how to address the inequality between people who’ve historically had access to these kinds of companies — and everyone else. That’s the really exciting part: Now everyone will be able to get it.”
“The goal with tokenization,” he added, “is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
To mark the launch, Robinhood is giving 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to every eligible user in the European Union who onboards to trade stock tokens by July 7. The company has allocated $1 million worth of OpenAI and $500,000 worth of SpaceX for the campaign.
This marks the first time Robinhood has tokenized private companies — a milestone made possible, in part, by the EU’s more flexible regulatory environment.
“There are no accredited investor rules here in the EU, so anyone who qualifies to trade stock tokens is able to access them,” Kerbrat explained.
While the EU rollout is underway, Robinhood says U.S. users shouldn’t expect access anytime soon.
Regulatory hurdles — particularly accredited investor restrictions — remain a major barrier to bringing tokenized private equity to the U.S. market. CEO Vlad Tenev has publicly called for reform, arguing that blockchain could unlock broader participation in private markets.
The tokenized shares are being distributed via Robinhood’s custody wallet into user accounts, part of a broader infrastructure push that also includes the company’s new Layer 2 blockchain built on Arbitrum, which were announced the same day.
And while American users can’t yet access tokenized shares of private companies, they are gaining access to crypto staking.
Robinhood also launched staking for Ethereum and Solana in the U.S., a feature that was previously blocked by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The move signals a renewed push to reintroduce yield-bearing crypto products to the domestic market.
Kia is preparing to introduce a new three-row electric SUV in less than two weeks, and it’s not the EV9. The “Big, Bold Family Vehicle” marks a milestone for Kia, but it might be tough to get your hands on one.
When is Kia launching the three-row Carens Clavis EV?
After launching the Carens 2021, a three-row SUV, Kia’s CEO, Ho Sung Song, said it would “create a completely new segment and industry benchmark for family vehicles.”
With the longest wheelbase in its class and an affordable price tag, the Carens quickly became one of India’s top-selling multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs).
Just a few weeks ago, Kia introduced the new Carens Clavis, a premium version of its popular people mover that’s about to get an EV variant.
On July 15, the Kia Carens Clavis EV will make its official debut. The three-row MPV will be the first locally made Kia EV in India. It will also be one of two electric MPVs on the market, alongside the BYD eMax 7. BYD’s electric MPV starts at Rs 26.90 Lakh ($31,400), while the current ICE Carens Clavis starts at Rs 11.49 Lakh ($13,500).
Kia will announce prices in a few weeks, but the electric version is expected to start at about the same price as the eMax 7.
According to Autocar India, Kia’s three-row EV is expected to share the same underpinnings as the Hyundai Creta Electric, offering battery packs with capacities of 42 kWh and 51.4 kWh.
Hyundai’s electric SUV offers a range of up to 473 km (294 miles), but given the Carens Clavis EV is bigger, it’s likely to see a slightly lower range.
You can see the MPV already shares design elements with Kia’s latest EV models, like the EV9 and EV5. The new “Kia Digital Tiger Face” is featured up front with Ice Cube LED headlights and LED daytime running lights.
On the rear, the tail lamps are connected with a full-length LED light bar featuring Kia’s signature Starmap lighting.
The interior is expected to remain about the same as the gas Carens Clavis, with a “best-in-segment” infotainment system screen featuring dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens in a panoramic curved setup.
Check back soon for prices and final specs on July 15 when Kia officially launches the new three-row EV.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike