General Motors made a huge announcement on Tuesday, February 15, saying that it will start producing Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles again this coming April, as posted by Jalopnik. GM paused production of the Chevy Bolt for eight long months due to a series of recalls relating to a battery fire in the vehicle.
The Chevy debacle was a major headache for GM, which recalled each and every Bolt that the company made to address the battery issue. As the Bolt's hiatus grew longer and longer, many were questioning if the run of GM's prized electric vehicle had finally come to an end.
There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel, with GM giving the Chevy Bolt another chance. That is a welcome development for GM and its workers at the company's Orion Township plant in Michigan, where the Bolts are being mass-produced.
GM spokesman Dan Flores issued a statement regarding the Bolt's revival, saying, "We appreciate the patience customers have shown throughout the recall. We remain committed to Bolt EV and EUV, and this decision will allow us to simultaneously replace battery modules and resume retail sales soon, which were strong before the recall."
The recall that Flores is talking about is the one that GM issued back in August of last year. GM decided to expand a previous recall that month, affecting more than 140,000 Bolts sold worldwide since 2016 due to battery manufacturing defects. GM deemed it necessary to recall all of its Chevy Bolt vehicles across the globe as defects in the battery could cause the EVs to catch fire, per ABC News.
GM said at the time of the recall that in rare cases, batteries that contain two manufacturing defects could trigger fires in the affected Bolts even when parked. A total of 13 battery fires were reported before GM issued a recall of the Chevy Bolt.
Related Article: Jeep Meridian to Launch in India in Mid-2022: What Are the Specs and Price of the 7-Seater SUV?
LG agreed to shoulder the expenses for the failure of its batteries, with the South Korean company reimbursing GM $2 billion for the recall costs of the Chevy Bolts. GM has given LG another chance to prove its worth, with the South Korean firm still tasked to build batteries for the Detroit automaker's next generation of electric vehicles.
It will be interesting to see what kind of reception the American public will give to the new Chevy Bolt, according to the Detroit Free Press. There is no questioning that GM's reputation took a huge hit because of the Chevy Bolt recalls. That episode was a tough setback for GM, which had huge plans for the Bolt in terms of pushing its electrification agenda.
GM plans to invest $35 billion to launch at least 30 new battery-electric vehicles globally by 2025. GM has said before that it wants to make only electric passenger vehicles by 2035. Fans of the Chevy Bolt will be delighted to hear that GM still considers that EV to be part of its electric revolution.
READ MORE ON AWN:
Cheapest Benz No More: Mercedes-Benz Will Remove A-class Sedan From Its U.S. Lineup After 2022
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
