The cheapest EV in America has everything most would need. Too bad it's being phased out.

3 hours ago 5

America has spent the past decade or so falling out of love with small cars, as drivers have turned to SUVs and automakers have sought higher margins on larger cars. That's unfortunate, because there's a practical case to be made for them.

Take the Chevrolet Bolt. Reviewers have showered the EV with praise; the consensus being that the small, peppy hatchback is just enough car with some unexpected surprises for a sub-$30,000 price tag.

After a test drive on a recent Tuesday in San Francisco, I've inducted myself into the Bolt fan club. With its decent interior size and the speed and efficiency of an EV, the car's got everything most drivers need for their daily commute.

It also has a starting price of under $28,000 — the least offensive price tag you'll see from any new EV on the US market.

The Bolt, first introduced in 2015, was revived last October after General Motors discontinued the car. GM, however, said it will only bring back the Bolt for a limited time as it makes space at its Kansas City manufacturing plant for other vehicles.

A company spokesperson told Business Insider that the Bolt was brought back for limited production due to popular demand.

Before the Bolt joins the graveyard of other beloved small cars and hatchbacks, here's my case for why America could really use the small car.

The little Bolt that could

Small cars, to me, are the perfect, efficient daily commuters when you live in a dense city, where parking is tight and streets are narrow. Need to squeeze in somewhere? The Bolt is at least a foot shorter than the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

It's far from the slickest-looking car on the road, yet because of its electric powertrain and compact size, the Bolt is easy to maneuver past slower drivers and squeeze through traffic.

In other words, the Bolt makes it easy for me to be an incredibly annoying driver. Sorry, not sorry.

Chevrolet Bolt with the passenger seats down.

Even better is when small things come with big surprises: The Bolt might look too small to carry much, but it has enough cargo storage to make the car practical for everyday use.

With the seats down, you have a little more than 56 cubic feet of cargo space. Think large grocery or Costco runs, new IKEA furniture, or a camping trip for two.

The rear seats also have enough room for most people.

I'm 5'10", about 200 pounds. I didn't feel cramped in the back seat after the driver's seat was adjusted to my preference. My head didn't have much clearance, so be sure to call shotgun if you're my size.

The just-enough car

GM says the car has an EPA-estimated range of 262 miles.

There's no Apple CarPlay, but Google is integrated into the infotainment system for essentials like Maps. Spotify and Apple Music are native apps installed in the car, and you can connect your phone via Bluetooth.

This is the middle-of-the-road kind of car for those who don't need a ton of space, don't really care to call their car "fun to drive," and don't need the latest tech.

I'm thinking of the practically-minded, average driver. The somewhat eco-conscious individual who mainly needs to get from point A to point B.

If you're a parent, you might use this for yourself on your daily commute to work or errands. And when your kid is old enough, they'll gladly take this car off your hands because they'll be happy to get cheap wheels in the first place.

Personally, I'm a huge small-car advocate. America's SUV fad hasn't bitten me yet. Unfortunately, that's why it's easy to see why GM would kill the Bolt. Its top sellers for the first quarter of the year were the Silverado truck, followed by the Equinox SUV.

A GM spokesperson told me that the Kansas City plant where the Bolt was made will transition to producing the Buick compact SUV and the Equinox.

Rest in peace, Bolt.