After a forced break that lasted nearly eight months, production of the Chevrolet Bolt will be able to resume on April 4. The information, contained in a statement sent to various American media, seems to confirm that the production of the new batteries by the equipment manufacturer LG Chem seems to meet both the demand of vehicles previously recalled in connection with a fire risk and the assembling new units itself.
Posted at 6:05 p.m.
The break at the Orion Township, Michigan assembly plant was obviously longer than expected. General Motors (GM) said in December that the assembly line would be reactivated at the end of January. But that was not the case.
The all-electric model is the subject of a major recall campaign that affects all units produced since its debut in 2017. A problem with the assembly of the batteries is in question. LG Chem has also admitted its wrongdoing last October and will reimburse 1.9 billion of the 2 billion US in estimated costs related to these recalls. Around 142,000 vehicles are affected.
In its statement, GM specifies that used Bolts whose batteries have not been replaced cannot be sold by dealers. Note that the implementation of diagnostic software to limit vehicle load to 80% has allowed owners since December to park their vehicles in their garage or near their house in addition to being able to lower the load below 113 km of autonomy, according to GM.
An all but certain future
Considered since its inception as one of the agents of democratization of all-electric, the Chevrolet Bolt now sees its future put on hold by the upcoming arrival of the electric Chevrolet Silverado, whose marketing is scheduled for 2024.
The pickup will be assembled at the same plant as the Bolt, forcing a costly $4 billion retooling. Add to that promises to launch new affordable electric crossovers based on the automaker’s latest modular electric platform and the model’s reputation tarnished by this recall.
It is therefore difficult for GM to logically justify keeping this Bolt alive, despite its undeniable qualities and its refinement improved by a recent renewal of the style.