A Chevrolet Bolt EV is parked at a charging station at a dealership in Colma, California, on Tuesday.
Photos Justin Sullivan/Getty
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Photos Justin Sullivan/Getty
A Chevrolet Bolt EV is parked at a charging station at a dealership in Colma, California, on Tuesday.
Photos Justin Sullivan/Getty
Just like that, the Chevy Bolt disappeared in the blink of an eye.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced during an earnings call Tuesday that the auto giant will end production of the popular, small electric Chevrolet Bolt models later this year.
Barra said it wants to shift operations at its assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich., to production of two electric trucks: the GMC Sierra EV and the Chevy Silverado EV.
Barra told investors: “We will need this capacity because our trucks exceed customer expectations, and we will demonstrate that EV work and range is not a category term. mutually exclusive for Chevrolet and GMC trucks”.
debut With a 2017 model year and touted by GM as America’s most affordable electric vehicle, the Bolt has become one of the most affordable electric vehicles in the world. most popular electric car on the market.
But in recent years, this model has suffered from battery problems that can cause the Bolts to catch fire, causing two recalls by GM and warn drivers that they should park outside after charging the battery.
Although GM relies heavily on sales of gasoline and diesel-powered trucks and SUVs, the company announced two years ago that it is aiming to only produce electric vehicles to 2035.
“When the Chevrolet Bolt EV came out, it was a tremendous engineering achievement and the first affordable EV, the beginning of GM’s all-electric future,” said Cody Williams, GM spokesman. , told NPR via email.
Now, the company is shifting direction, turning some of those popular pickups into electric vehicles and launching other electric models later this year, including the Chevy Blazer EV and Chevy Equinox EV, Williams added.
When GM’s Orion assembly plant reopens in 2024 and reaches full production capacity, Barra said on a call with investors, jobs will nearly triple there and the company will can produce 600,000 electric trucks per year.
