Chevrolet Malibu EV.
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GM stopped production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan last November. While it still sold over 130,000 units in 2023. Which was about 15,000 more than the previous year. That was also more than the Nissan Altima.
It seems a new EV version of the Chevrolet sedan based on the Ultium platform could actually make sense. It would basically be a much sleeker sedan version of the Chevrolet Equinox EV with an even longer range. The Equinox EV currently starts at around $34,000. This means an EV sedan for a price that would be very close to a mainstream ICE model. And quite a bit cheaper than the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
However, the Fairfax plant where the sedan was built is now getting ready to produce the next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EV. And not a new Malibu. Of course, an all-new Bolt with a much more modern Ultium battery with faster charging and more range than the previous generation has the potential to be quite a hit for GM. Much more so than a regular sedan.
There were rumors of a new-generation Malibu being in the works a couple of years ago. It would also have been a regular ICE model at the time. Something GM has probably decided against since.
Chevrolet also has a very modern 1.5 Liter PHEV powertrain in the new Equinox. However, that is only available in China for now. It will probably come later this year in the new ICE Equinox as an option. That could have been a very nice powertrain for a new Malibu as well.
The Kia EV4 sedan is coming very soon and will be sold in the US as well. It will be interesting to see if a mid-$ $30,000 EV sedan does well in North America.