Cory Gunther
Back in November, we received both good news and bad news from GM, depending on which side of the situation you’re on. The company confirmed that production of the new Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV vehicles will remain down, with production entirely halted until sometime in 2022. So if you were looking to get a new 2022 Bolt, you might be waiting a while.
On the other hand, this halt will allow GM’s assembly plants to focus entirely on building new battery cells and modules for nearly 140,000 recalled Chevy Bolt vehicles. GM will prioritize assembly lines and parts distribution to get this headache over with, instead of building new cars.
Update, 12/2/21: Since this post went live, we’ve received more information regarding Chevy Bolt delays. According to The Verge, GM will officially shut down Chevy Bolt production until at least January 24th, 2022. However, given all the delays recently, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this date get extended between now and then.
GM initially halted the Chevy Bolt EV production back in August, but then in September announced further delays deep into Mid-October. And now, GM Authority reports that several plants will not start back up until next year.
“GM has notified employees at Orion Assembly the plant will take downtime for the remainder of the 2021 calendar year.” “This decision will enable us to continue prioritizing recall repairs. We will continue to inform employees at the appropriate time of any additional production schedule adjustments in early 2022, as we continue to focus on battery module replacements.”
For those unaware, back in August, GM issued a recall over battery fires in the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. Eventually, over 140,000 vehicles became part of the recall, costing nearly $1.9 billion, which battery manufacturer LG Chem will pay for. LG and GM are currently busy replacing battery cells in the 2019 model years, with other years coming soon.
Owners can also opt to take the vehicle to a GM dealership and get a new software update, which installs safety diagnostic tools, removes discharge limitations, but only allows the car to charge to 80% capacity — just to be safe.
While we’re already in a vehicle shortage, this only makes it worse. Either way, remain patient, and hopefully, GM gets everything handled soon.
via GM Authority
