General Motors will extend the production shut down affecting the Bolt for another two weeks. As battery production for the vehicle resumes, the automaker says it is focused on recall repairs rather than new vehicles.
Production of the Bolt has been idled since August 23 following the discovery of a manufacturing fault that could lead to battery fires while the car was charging. The automaker opted to pause production while it looked for the source of the problem so that it could guarantee that new vehicles would not be beset by the issue.
In September, GM announced that in cooperation with its battery supplier, LG Chem, it discovered the root of the issue and would resume battery manufacturing. Now, Reuters reports that GM is prioritizing replacing the batteries on vehicles that were affected by the recall.
Read Also: GM Says It Has Solved Chevrolet Bolt Battery Issue, Will Resume Production
Although more than 140,000 Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs are involved in the recall, LG Chem said recently that some may not need to have their battery entirely replaced. As it works through the recall process, GM has promised to develop software that will enable many Bolt users to use more of their battery than had previously been advised by the automaker.
As a result of prioritizing recalls, though, GM won’t resume production of new Bolts for at least two more weeks.
GM said Tuesday that the recall is expected to cost $2 billion much of which will be paid for by LG Chem as part of an agreement between the companies.
