GM earlier this month revealed details regarding a dozen future electric vehicles that it either might build or will build. The company opened up about the Ultium propulsion foundation under most of those vehicles—some of which will offer 400 miles of range or more, and up to 1,000 horsepower. 

And then the COVID-19 pandemic started hitting the U.S. hard. GM pivoted quickly to address a critical shortage of face masks and is ramping up to make an estimated 1.5 million face masks per month. 

Amid this push, GM confirmed Tuesday that one vehicle refresh has already been delayed in part due to the pandemic response. 

“As a result of the current business situation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to launch the refreshed Bolt EV in 2021 as a 2022 model and the Bolt EUV remains on schedule,” said GM advanced technology spokeswoman Megan Soule. 

2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The revamp originally to be given to the 2021 Bolt EV—now for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV—will include substantial upgrades inside, including new front seats, a sportier steering wheel design, and a redesigned instrument panel—including a new push-button shifter replacing the traditional shift lever—plus various trim and material upgrades.

The upgrades given to the 2020 Chevy Bolt EV, which included a boost in battery capacity to 66 kwh, will of course carry over to the 2021 model.

Teaser for Cadillac Lyriq electric cossover SUV based on GM BEV3 modular platform

And in light of the pandemic-induced slowdown and, perhaps, this morning’s announcement of new EPA fuel economy standards, Soule relayed a further comment from GM: “We’re not wavering on our vision of an all-electric future. Our EV portfolio including the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Cruise Origin and our Ultium battery program will see little or no impact.”