General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced in a Q2 earnings call on Tuesday that production of the Chevrolet Bolt, and the slightly larger Bolt EUV, would be ending late this year. The announcement marks a generational handover for the automaker’s electric fleet.
Barra said that jobs at the Orion Township, Michigan assembly plant where the Bolts are currently being assembled will be safe. The plant will be retooled to produce electric trucks on GM’s new Ultium platform starting in 2024, reports CNBC.
First introduced in 2016, the hatchback was an early attempt to create a small, affordable EV with more than 200 miles (322 km) of range. And in that, it was a success.
Read: GM Sold Double The Amount Of EVs That Ford Did Last Quarter
Although it never achieved the cultural cachet of a Tesla, for 2023 the Bolt gets a more than respectable 259 miles (417 km) of range per charge, despite being based on older battery technology. It also has a base MSRP of just $26,595 before tax rebates—a number that VW and Tesla are both still trying to match.
However, for all their successes, even the Bolt EUV (an attempt to turn the hatchback into a crossover) is smaller than American buyers tend to prefer. The models were also recently beset by battery fires, an issue that was resolved by GM at great expense. It seems that the vehicles will have to cede the way to larger, more modern upcoming Ultium products, such as the Chevrolet Silverado, the Blazer, and the Equinox EVs.
“When the Chevrolet Bolt EV launched, it was a huge technical achievement and the first affordable EV, which set in motion GM’s all-electric future,” a Chevrolet spokesperson told The Verge. “As the company continues to grow its EV portfolio with the Ultium platform, and as construction continues at the Orion Township, MI, assembly plant in preparation for battery electric truck production beginning in 2024, Chevrolet confirmed Bolt EV and EUV production will end late this year.”
In an email to Bolt owners shared with us by reader Zach, Chevrolet said that it would continue to offer owners support and services for their vehicles, even after production ends.
