Chevrolet Bolt EV, Bolt EUV Production to Resume Next Week
UPDATE (11/18/2021)--General Motors again halted production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV on November 15. The plant will remain down the rest of the year as GM continues to work through a recall on the electric vehicles. Below is the original story.
After being put on halt for several weeks due to defective high-voltage battery modules, production of the new Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV at Orion Assembly in Michigan will resume gradually in early November. General Motors made the announcement today in a letter to shareholders.
In late September, LG Electronics restarted battery production in Michigan after its specialists and those of GM found that the root cause of the rare circumstances that could cause a battery fire was two manufacturing defects known as a torn anode and a folded separator, both of which need to be present in the same battery cell.
Over a dozen fires involving Bolt EV models have been reported to this day.
GM’s top priority is the replacement of battery modules in all Bolt EV and Bolt EUV vehicles that it has built so far. Around 142,000 were part of the recall, which will cost the automaker approximately $2 billion USD. LG Electronics will reimburse nearly all of it, more specifically $1.9 billion USD.
The two companies say they have implemented new manufacturing processes and improved quality control programs in order to provide batteries that drivers can have faith in.
For those who are awaiting delivery of their new 2022 Bolt EV or Bolt EUV, or plan to order one, the transparency shown by GM must be viewed as a positive sign. These two models still prove excellent purchases, all electric vehicles considered, thanks to their long range (402-417 kilometres) combined with a low entry price (MSRP starting at $38,198).
