GM Signals It May Unplug Its Once-Revolutionary Electric Vehicle Chevy Bolt Soon
GM plans to build these electric pickups by 2024 at its plant in Orion Township, Michigan. The factory now houses the Bolt and the slightly larger Bolt EUV. And no new locations for the Bolt were included in Tuesday’s announcement.
“Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV production will continue while plant conversion activities are underway to prepare the facility for production of the Silverado EV and Sierra EV pickup trucks,” GM spokesman Dan Flores said. “We are not disclosing any additional information at this time on the production of Bolt EV or Bolt EUV.”
“Orion is currently down until February, so we can continue to focus LG battery production on recall repairs,” Flores said. Last month, GM only planned to keep production going until January. As for when production can finally resume, Flores said, “GM hasn’t made a decision beyond February yet.”
Once a revolutionary car
These new vehicles — and all future GM electric vehicles — have a different battery to the Bolt, dubbed Ultium, that promises superior performance. On Tuesday, GM and LG Energy Solutions also announced plans for a $2.6 billion battery plant in Lansing, Michigan, not far from Orion Township. But that will make it difficult for GM to sell Bolts with an inferior battery, even if the fire issue is resolved.
And the Bolt is tiny – even the slightly larger Bolt EUV is just over 14 feet or 170 inches long. Although it’s a few inches longer than the original, it’s about a foot shorter than a compact Toyota Corolla, although it has a bit more interior space and cargo capacity because it doesn’t has no engine.
Other GM electric vehicles cost significantly more
Its next generation of electric vehicles is aimed at a wealthier population. Hummer EVs start at between $80,000 and $110,000, while the Lyriq starts at $59,000. Pricing for the Silverado EV has yet to be announced, but it will likely fall within that range.
The Bolt was originally positioned as the first mainstream car from any automaker, rather than a luxury car, capable of going over 200 miles on a single charge.
Those plans now seem unlikely.
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