Ending Bolt EV Production, GM Shifts Focus On Truck Production And Zero Emission SUV

At a price of Rp407 million, Chevrolet Bolt EV is the most affordable electric car in the US. (Doc. Chevrolet)

JAKARTA - General Motors (GM) reportedly halted production of its most affordable electric vehicle in the US Chevrolet Bolt EV later this year to shift production to zero-emission trucks and SUVs built on the new battery platform.

"We have grown so far that it is now time to plan to end the production of Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUs, which will happen at the end of the year," GM CEO Mary Barra told investors on Tuesday, reported by Reuters, Tuesday, April 25.

The Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV production plants are located at the GM's Orion Township assembly plant, Michigan.

"When the Orion EV assembly reopens in 2024, employment will also triple because the factory has a capacity to build 600,000 electric trucks annually," Barra said as quoted by Forbes, Wednesday, April 26.

The new plant has the potential to contribute most of GM's goals to produce 1 million EVs in North America by 2025.

To support this ambition, GM also recently announced joining Samsung SDI and investing $3 billion to build a new US-based battery factory that will start operating in 2026. However, the specific location of this cooperation plant was not disclosed.

On the other hand, the sales rate of electric vehicles in the United States itself is still less than 10% of the total vehicle market. However, GM claims to have outperformed market leaders Tesla's electric vehicles by selling 20,000 units of electric vehicles in the last quarter.

In addition, GM also recorded record shipments of Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV over three consecutive quarters and an increase in sales of Cadillac Lyriq. Thanks to this achievement, GM is now in second place in sales of electric vehicles in the US and has managed to increase the market share of electric vehicles by up to 8%. And Bolt EV still accounts for more than 90% of all GM EV sales in the US.