What batteries do Chevy Bolts use?
Chevy Bolts use lithium-ion battery packs manufactured by LG Energy Solution (formerly LG Chem). Early models used a ~60 kWh pack, while later updates moved to ~66 kWh, with usable energy typically in the 53–60 kWh range depending on year and configuration.
To understand this question in depth, it helps to know who makes the packs, what chemistry they use, how the packs are packaged, and how battery size evolved across generations of the Bolt lineup, including the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV.
Battery tech and suppliers
Before diving into details, here is a concise look at the hardware and its origins.
- Supplier: LG Energy Solution (the LG Chem unit responsible for GM’s Bolt packs).
- Chemistry: Lithium-ion with nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes and graphite anodes.
- Cell format and pack design: pouch-style cells arranged in modular blocks inside a liquid-cooled battery pack, overseen by GM’s battery management system (BMS).
- Thermal management: Active cooling to maintain optimal temperature for performance, longevity, and safety.
- Pack capacity progression: 60 kWh gross in the 2017–2019 Bolt EV era; expanded to about 66 kWh gross in the 2020 refresh and carried into the Bolt EUV lineup.
In short, Chevrolet’s Bolts rely on LG Energy Solution NMC lithium-ion packs, using pouch cells with active cooling and a modern BMS, with capacity increasing across generations.
Model-year capacities and what that means for range
Here are the approximate capacity figures by model year and variant to illustrate how the battery size has changed over time.
- 2017–2019 Bolt EV: about 60 kWh gross pack; roughly 53 kWh usable energy depending on calibration and BMS.
- 2020–2023 Bolt EV: about 66 kWh gross pack; roughly 60 kWh usable energy; upgraded cooling/management accompany the larger pack.
- 2022–present Bolt EUV: uses the same 66 kWh-class pack as the refreshed Bolt, with similar usable energy; GM markets the EUV with comparable battery sizing to the updated EV.
Across generations, the Bolt lineup has shifted from a 60 kWh-class pack to a larger 66 kWh-class pack, while maintaining the same general family of LG-supplied, NMC lithium-ion technology and a sophisticated thermal/BMS system.
Summary
The Chevrolet Bolt family relies on LG Energy Solution’s lithium-ion battery packs, built with NMC chemistry in pouch cells and cooled by an active thermal system. The earliest Bolts used a 60 kWh gross pack (about 53 kWh usable), while later models moved to roughly 66 kWh gross (around 60 kWh usable), a change that applies to both the Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV. This battery platform has been central to the Bolt’s electric range and performance since launch, with safety recalls and improvements accompanying its evolution.
