Bolt EV

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Hatchback

Production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV hasn't been the same since last August. In short, production was nearly brought to a halt due to a recall involving over 140,000 vehicles because of a battery fire risk. It took quite some time for the exact problem to be found and a fix put into place, and the total recall cost is a whopping $2 billion.

However, LG Chem, the battery manufacturer, will pay nearly that entire amount instead of GM. GM and LG Energy Solution are currently building two joint-venture battery plants in the US. We reported last month that Chevy had extended this production shutdown through the end of the year.

And now Reuters reports the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan won't be back up and running any earlier than January 28, 2022. The automaker didn't delve into specifics as to why that particular date was chosen, but it's clear the situation has not been fully resolved.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is still investigating those battery fires that affected only a few vehicles. But GM can't afford to take any risks, hence the massive and pricey recall. This extended delay is not exactly what GM had hoped for as it was previously targeting a December 6 restart date.

The Detroit automaker is still prioritizing battery production to replace the modules in nearly every single Bolt ever produced. For newer examples, such as the recently refreshed standard hatchback and the Bolt EUV crossover, GM is hoping a software fix can resolve the situation. There's still no update on whether that's going to be possible.

The extra time GM is giving itself to get things in order will hopefully pay off in the long run. Rushing the recall to get production back online faster than it should could ultimately backfire.