General Motors is ending production of its first long range BEVs, the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, at the end of 2023, a media report said.
TheDetroitBureau.com said the announcement came when the nameplate is achieving record sales and helping GM to become second only to Tesla in the US EV market but the automaker is introducing a new generation of BEVs including the Chevy Blazer, Equinox and Silverado models.
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“We have progressed so far that it’s now time to plan to end the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV production,” the website quoted GM chairman and CEO as saying.
First launched in 2016, Bolt was GM’s first serious entry into the BEV market and underscored Barra’s pronouncement the automaker would switch entirely to all electric powertrains by 2035, the report said.
The Bolt has had its troubles, though, as reported by Just Auto. A spate of battery fires and associated property damage led to a ‘park outside’ warning to owners, a recall, a US$2bn hit to the automaker’s bottom line and a $1.9bn payout from battery supplier LG Electronics.
According to DetroitBureau.com, GM expected to produce about 70,000 Bolts this year, positioning the model line as the third best-selling EV nameplate in the country, behind Tesla’s Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan.
