Coronavirus Forces GM To Delay New Chevy Bolt Refresh

Production for most automakers, including GM, has been closed in North America as the world fights coronavirus. Many fans of the Chevrolet Bolt have been waiting for the redesigned version that was expected to launch this year as a 2021 model. Chevrolet has announced that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the vehicle has been delayed.

Rather than updates coming for this year, the updates have been pushed to 2021. That means that the 2022 model-year Chevrolet Bolt will be the version of the vehicle that sees new updates. A GM spokesperson also confirmed that the Bolt EUV remains on schedule. GM had previously intended to restart its North American manufacturing operations on March 30. It recently said that it had expanded that suspension and is continuing to evaluate its operation plans moving forward.

It's unclear if the production stoppage at the Orion Assembly plant where the Bolt is made will impact the supply of the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt. GM has been pushing the Bolt EV heavily with discounts of up to $10,000 and leases as low as $109 a month. Some of the anticipated changes for the Bolt that had previously been expected this year include a sportier look.

One of the more anticipated changes was more comfortable, re-styled seats. The changed seats will address a common customer complaint about the seat cushions being too thin. The 2022 Bolt is expected to have an updated front fascia and rear lights. The 2022 model is also expected to get a larger camera suite on the front windshield to support adaptive cruise control.

Inside the car, a revised interior will tone down the plastic nature of the current interior, and the vehicle gets an updated infotainment system. The new version will ditch the current shifter for the transmission in favor of a push-button gear selector.