GM introduced again the Chevrolet Bolt EV this week—as a future inexpensive EV product peg for the corporate’s product plan.
Whereas the timeline is but to be disclosed for the revamped Bolt EV, the timeline for the present Bolt EV disappearing from dealerships stays confirmed.
In April, GM disclosed that it might discontinue the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV on the finish of 2023, as manufacturing winds down on the Orion Meeting plant in Michigan. GM had already dedicated that plant to provide the Chevrolet Silverado EV and different giant electrical vans on its Ultium platform.
“Drawing on numerous Ultium and Ultifi technological developments will assist GM convey this standard mannequin again to market on an accelerated timeline,” GM mentioned Tuesday, confirming that the longer term Bolt EV gained’t carry over its current propulsion tech.
GM Ultium battery – cell stacking
Future Bolt EV gained’t be all-new
The automaker additionally steered that not the whole lot on the Bolt EV might be new. GM famous that it “will execute it extra rapidly in comparison with an all-new program with considerably decrease engineering expense and capital funding by updating the automobile with Ultium and Ultifi applied sciences and by making use of our ‘profitable with simplicity’ self-discipline.”
Ultium is the broad commerce time period making use of to GM battery and electrical propulsion households, and Ultifi is the time period making use of to its EV software program, so this merely implies that the longer term Bolt EV gained’t carry ahead with its present-generation LG Chem cells. These cells had been the main target of a very pricey, large-scale recall that seems to have been well worth the effort, leaving clients happy and constant to the model and nameplate.
GM had no incentive to hold the present Bolt EV’s battery tech ahead anyhow.
“We’re already on the street to delivering a 60% value discount in comparison with the Bolt EV with the subsequent technology of Ultium,” GM CEO Mary Barra mentioned in 2021, of tech set to reach mid-decade, as a part of a press release touting the automaker as one of many few to have an EV that’s as inexpensive because the Bolt household.
Potential electrical Chevrolet Camaro in GM Ultium teaser video
Did GM ever truly kill the Chevy Bolt EV?
GM executives had already hinted to Inexperienced Automotive Reviews and different retailers that whereas future electrical small vehicles is likely to be within the works, these autos wouldn’t use the identical large-format Ultium pouch cells that GM deliberate to deploy on the whole lot from the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Blazer EV on as much as large vans such because the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV.
Likewise, GM and Honda introduced in April 2022 that they had been working collectively on a joint structure for inexpensive EVs—one that may use “next-generation Ultium battery expertise,” in keeping with GM.
At the moment, these compact EVs had been set to reach for 2026. It’s arduous to think about GM engaged on a number of compact EV platforms outdoors China, so this week’s announcement seemingly alerts that the venture has been pulled forward—maybe like how the automaker managed to speed up growth of the Cadillac Lyriq.
GM could have supplied among the reply to what comes subsequent. Earlier this 12 months the corporate clarified that it would embody the flexibleness of cylindrical cells in future EVs, as a part of its Ultium tech however not as a part of the Ultium Cells LLC three way partnership. That was made clearer this April with the announcement of a three way partnership between GM and Samsung SDI that may mass-produce cylindrical cells for GM merchandise beginning in 2026.
The lower-profile cells would assist reply the dimensional challenges that make these large-format cells tougher to bundle inside a small automobile or beneath the ground of a low-profile automobile.
UAW-made sticker on 2022 Chevy Bolt EV
Bolt EV’s manufacturing dilemma
Whereas the Bolt EV’s Michigan plant shifts to electrical truck manufacturing later within the 12 months, the automaker doesn’t produce other speedy choices for U.S. manufacturing. GM vacated its Lordstown, Ohio, plant that used to assemble compact vehicles and is situated close to the Ultium LLC cells facility. It’s now underneath the possession of Foxconn, which is able to seemingly assemble the $29,900 Fisker Pear city EV there.
In the meantime, demand for the Bolt EV surges, and GM will face a spot in its lineup after the top of the 12 months. Of the 36,024 EVs GM delivered within the first half of 2023, simply 2,365 had been of its new-generation Ultium EVs. The remaining 33,659 had been Chevrolet Bolt EVs.
In its replace for buyers earlier this week, CEO Barra pointed to the Bolt as one among its most in-demand autos, at or underneath a 10-day provide in vendor stock.
“Truly, we won’t construct sufficient Bolts proper now,” Barra mentioned to Wolfe Analysis analyst Rod Lache.
