Production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV Restarts After Battery Recall Last Year

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

There's some good news for consumers searching for an affordable electric vehicle. General Motors is restarting production of the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, as the automaker has received a supply of new battery packs that aren't affected by the recall. This is great news for GM and for interested EV buyers, as it means that two more affordable cars are back on the market.

Restarting Production After A Hiatus

The two EVs from General Motors have been on a production hiatus since last August because of a potential battery fire issue with the battery modules. Since then, General Motors has been hard at work on finding a fix for the issue and repairing all of the Bolt EV and EUVs ever built in a massive recall. Now, production is back up and running for the models again.

"Production of the Bolt EV/EUV resumed today, as planned," GM spokesman Kevin Kelly told The Detroit News. "We're excited to have The Bolt EV/EUV back in the market."

Now that GM is building its most affordable EVs again, the automaker is looking to sell a high volume of the vehicles with a new TV ad campaign that lines up with opening day for Major League Baseball. "We have a very, very good reliable supply coming in to make sure we can handle all of these current needs," Chevrolet's VP of marketing Steve Majoros said to The Verge on a press call.

Existing Customers Are Still A Priority

While GM is starting production of the Bolt EV and EUV, Majoros said that there are 6,700 Bolt EV and EUVs in stock at dealerships waiting for new batteries. These unsold vehicles are likely to sit on dealer lots for a while, as the automaker will reportedly prioritize current battery supply for current owners that are affected by the recall ahead of unsold inventory.

GM originally planned to restart production of the two electric vehicles last September, but supply chain issues stopped the automaker from reopening the plant where the Bolt EV and EUV are built. After realizing that it wouldn't be able to get production going, it sent out replacement battery modules to dealers where owners with electric vehicles affected by the recall could get new components.

The original issue with the Bolt EV and EUV was found to be a manufacturing defect with the battery modules from LG. The issues included a torn anode tab and a folded separator. These problems resulted in 18 confirmed EVs catching on fire globally. To fix the issue, GM recalled every Bolt EV and EUV made and plans to replace the necessary components. New vehicles being built off the assembly line have the new parts already installed.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods