GM’s Orion Township, Michigan plant will remain idle until April 4, 2022, when the automaker will restart production of the Chevrolet Bolt.
By doing so, the Detroit Free Press reports that the automaker will be able to continue replacing battery packs on vehicles that were recalled following a series of fires.
“Our unprecedented decision to idle Bolt EV and EUV production over the past months has enabled us to prioritize battery module replacements,” GM Spokesman Dan Flores told the outlet. “As a result, we’ve made replacements available to Bolt EV owners who were in our high priority groups.”
Read More: GM Recalls Every Chevy Bolt And Bolt EUV Over Fire Risk At An Extra Cost Of $1 Billion
Flores added that GM is still “committed to the Bolt EV and EUV.” By stopping production, GM was able to allow LG Chem to produce replacement batteries for vehicles in the field whose owners were being asked to park outdoors and not charge their vehicles to 100 percent.
GM issued a global recall on around 140,000 vehicles last year as a result of the fire risk. It called back all model year 2017-2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs as a result of an issue inside the battery. Its supplier, LG Chem, has agreed to reimburse GM for $1.9 billion in costs associated with the Bolt recall, though the company’s reputation may have taken a hit just as it was preparing for a major EV push.
Despite the recall, Fores said that some owners still haven’t scheduled a battery replacement for their vehicles but that the company has made progress with them.
“We’re continuing to complete more replacements each day,” Flores said. “As a result of this progress and our supplier’s ability to provide more module production, we feel confident we can balance replacements along with new retail production.”
The longer-term future of the Bolt is a bit of a mystery, however. Although GM announced that it will invest in the plant, that money is being spent on preparing it for pickup production. Speaking to CNN last month, Flores would not comment on the future of the Bolt.
