General Motors to Begin Building 2027 Bolt EV in Kansas Later This Year

General Motors said its next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EV will arrive for the 2027 model year, with production set to begin later this year at its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas. The announcement comes as part of a broader $4 billion investment in three U.S. manufacturing facilities to support both electric and internal combustion vehicle output.

GM had initially teased the return of the affordable Bolt in 2023 after ending production of the first-generation Bolt EV and EUV. However, updates on the project had been sparse until now. While full technical specifications remain under wraps, the new model is expected to retain its position as a compact, low-cost EV. It may once again take the form of a tall hatchback or lean toward a subcompact SUV profile, similar to the outgoing EUV variant.

“The 2027 Chevy Bolt EV [will begin production] by the end of this year,” GM stated in its investment announcement, marking a surprisingly early start for a vehicle set for a 2027 model-year designation.

Fairfax Assembly will also gain a second major production line. GM said it will start building the gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox SUV at the plant by mid-2027, supplementing current production in Mexico. Additionally, GM revealed plans to build a next-generation “affordable EV” at the Kansas plant, though details about how it will differ from the Bolt remain unclear.

Elsewhere, GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, facility—which currently produces the Cadillac Lyriq and Vistiq EVs—will also begin producing the gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer SUV in 2027. The move comes as a surprise, as earlier reports suggested the current Blazer, introduced in 2019, might not receive a successor after the 2025 model year.

The automaker is also shifting its EV truck production plans. GM now intends to build gas-powered full-size SUVs and pickup trucks at its Orion Assembly plant in Michigan starting in early 2027. This marks a reversal from earlier plans to manufacture the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV at Orion. These models will instead be built exclusively at Factory Zero in Detroit-Hamtramck, which also produces the Cadillac Escalade IQ and GMC Hummer EV.

The production strategy signals a realignment of priorities at GM, amid slower-than-expected demand for some EV models. The company is also looking to bring more of its most profitable vehicle manufacturing back to the United States from Mexico and Canada.