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GM Extends Chevy Bolt EV And Bolt EUV Production Downtime By Another Two Weeks

General Motors has announced it will extend production downtime at its Lake Orion Assembly plant in Michigan for another two weeks. The plant, which builds the Chevy Bolt EV and Chevy Bolt EUV, is now expected to come back online on September 27th.

The extended downtime is the result of a battery pack shortage at the plant, which has been caused by the battery fire recall issued for the 2017-2022 Chevy Bolt EV and 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV. GM said previously that it would not resume production at Orion Assembly until it can verify that all battery received packs from supplier LG Chem are defect-free. As a result, it has temporarily laid off all hourly workers at Orion Assembly.

Battery fires in affected Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV vehicles are believed to be caused when one of the battery’s cells has a torn anode tab and folded separator. It’s not yet clear how this manufacturing defect comes to be during the production process, however, leaving GM weary of continuing the usage of the LG-sourced packs.

The battery fire recall involves roughly 140,000 examples of the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. The recall will entail replacing the battery modules in all affected vehicles, which is expected to cost the company around $1.8 billion USD. GM said previously that it would go after LG Chem for the costs associated with the recall and said that discussion is “being handled by the appropriate leaders at both companies.”

Chevy Bolt battery partially disassembled

The Chevy Bolt EV was redesigned for the 2022 model year, receiving updated exterior and interior styling and a new infotainment display, among more. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, meanwhile, is an all-new crossover variant of the Bolt EV that uses the same BEV2 platform as the hatchback. Both vehicles feature a single front-mounted electric motor producing 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, along with the same 65 kWh LG Chem lithium-ion battery.

For a complete rundown on the current status of GM’s various global production plants, which have experienced recurring shutdowns this year due to the chip shortage, be sure to check out our dedicated log.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Bolt EV news, Chevy Bolt EUV news, Chevy news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. I’ll take “things nobody wants or cares about” for $1 billion dollars, Alex. Honestly the Bolt should be abandoned. They should move production of the VSS-F platform to the United States, starting with the Trailerblazer. Equip it with a refined 1.5t or conservatively tuned 2.0t, be the leader in the class, not the follower.

    Reply
  2. Very clever timing making this announcement minutes before the ZR2 reveal.
    It’s all about shareholders in this world.

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  3. So does that mean on September 27 GM will be confident the battery fire issues are solved OR will these vehicles be assembled and sit around until a more permanent solution is found?

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  4. probably need the time to build up the plant fire extinguisher system

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  5. Can GM leave the recall unresolved indefinitely?
    It’s great they announced a recall for an issue that’s been outstanding for about a year in the older models but there is no resolution.

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  6. Just a bad situation all the way around. If one is looking into this class of vehicle, it’s hard to justify going with a Bolt at this point over a Hyundai Kona or Kia Niro, both of which are amazingly close in dimensions and capabilities to the Bolt. And presumably don’t self immolate.

    I say this as someone who will be in the market for this size of ev next year.

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  7. when are we going to read that the shortage of bolts are pushing prices above msrp? probably never.

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  8. Why is there any production of new Bolts when all new and supposedly improved batteries should be dedicated to already sold Bolts under recall?

    gm is giving a new 8 year 100,000 mile warranty on the replacement batteries. What are they going to do for owners when their dashes warp and or crack from baking out in the sun while they can’t park in their garages due to fire risk?

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  9. Well it’s Nov 2, 2021. 0ver 1 year to fix a defect that potentially kill one of us. Called about paperwork for buyback.. submitted Sept. 24, 2021. Concierge “ don,t know”. How about what vin numbers are being prioritized, , “. Don,t know. “ Does anyone know anything. No because we are being SCAMMED.

    Reply

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