General Motors has declined to comment on reports it will start begin building its new US$30,000 Chevrolet Bolt electric car in October 2016.
Citing unnamed supplier sources, Reuters said the car would also be built for Opel at an underutilised small car plant north of Detroit.
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Target production is around 25,000-30,000 cars a year.
The Bolt, launched with much hype at the Detroit show last month, is expected on sale in early 2017 and will offer range of over 200 miles (300km), roughly double the Nissan Leaf’s distance on a full charge.
GM’s Orion Township plant will assemble Chevrolet and Opel versions of the Bolt, Reuters’ sources said. The plant now builds the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano and has been operating well below capacity as US small car sales have suffered from falling petrol prices.
The first generation, larger Chevrolet Volt/Opel Ampera was built at GM’s Detroit Hamtramck low volume plant. The redesigned model was also launched at this year’s Detroit show.
The Reuters sources said the Bolt was on GM’s Gamma global small car platform which will underpin the redesigned Sonic, also due late in 2016.
GM declined to comment to the news agency.
