GM Extends Downtime For Bolt Production Through February Amid Massive Recall

After a series of recalls that we have documented, General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV production will remain down through February, according to The Detroit News.

GM first took the Orion Assembly plant in Lake Orion offline in the week of Aug. 23 due to recall repairs. The plant briefly returned online in the first two weeks of November but has been down since Nov. 15 and will remain down through February. The automaker prioritizes fixing recalled Bolts instead of making new vehicles. 

“GM has notified employees at Orion Assembly the plant will extend downtime through February 2022 to continue prioritizing recall repairs,” GM spokesman Dan Flores said in a statement. 

“We will continue to inform employees at the appropriate time of any additional production schedule adjustments, as we continue to focus on battery module replacements,” Flores said. 

Readers may recall the automaker has asked Bolt owners to park “at least 50 feet” from other vehicles because the vehicle’s batteries have spontaneously combusted. 

“We are aware of 12 GM confirmed battery fires that have been investigated involving Bolt EVs vehicles in the previous and new recall population,” Flores told the local paper back in mid-September. 

In total, GM has recalled more than 141,000 Bolts for battery fire risk. The automaker plans to transition the plant to make electric trucks based.