General Motors Co (GM) said it would extend downtime at its Chevy Bolt electric-vehicle plant for another three weeks due to a battery pack shortage, as the company recalls the vehicles over fire risks.
The company is now to idle the plant through the week of Oct. 11 after earlier saying it would stop production through the week of Sept. 20.
GM said it would continue to work with its supplier to “update manufacturing processes” and would evaluate additional production schedule adjustments.
Photo: Reuters
The plant in Lake Orion, Michigan, has been idled since Aug. 23. With the recall under way, GM has urged some owners of Chevy Bolt electric cars to park the vehicles at least 15m away from other cars to reduce the risk that a spontaneous fire could spread.
GM added that it is cutting production at six other North American assembly plants because of an ongoing chip shortage.
The Detroit automaker has recalled almost all of the approximately 142,000 Bolts sold since 2016, because the battery can catch on fire. GM has taken a US$1.8 billion charge so far for the cost of the recall and has been buying cars back from some disgruntled owners. The company expects to recoup much of the cost from battery supplier LG Corp.
The new advice is likely to rankle owners who are already limiting their use of the Bolt to avoid overheating the battery and risking a fire. The parking guidance is especially difficult for owners in urban areas. GM has confirmed 10 fires.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has found 13 fires in Bolts, but the company has not confirmed that the additional three are part of the current recall issue.
The Bolt normally can be driven 417km on one charge, but that has been limited by GM’s guidance to avoid a fire. The automaker told Bolt owners to limit the charge to 90 percent, plug in more frequently and avoid depleting the battery to below about 112km of remaining range. Owners are also advised to park their vehicles outside immediately after charging and not leave them charging indoors overnight.
GM has said the fires are a rare event and are the result of two uncommon defects that stem from a manufacturing problem in LG plants in Michigan and South Korea.
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