The President and CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, has said the automaker will stop producing its two best-selling electric vehicles — the Chevy Bolt and its big brother, the Bolt EUV — by the end of 2023.
Barra told investors during the company's earnings call that its Orion Michigan factory, which currently assembles the Bolt, will be retooled for electric truck production.
The decision comes as GM launches a new range of electric vehicles, such as the GMC Hummer and Cadillac Lyriq, equipped with the company's Ultium architecture, which includes a new battery cell design.
However, it also ends GM's higher-volume EVs and removes one of the few affordable EV models from the market. It also spells the end of the Chevy Bolt AV, the version of the autonomous vehicle that Cruise, GM's self-driving unit, uses for its robotaxis.
GM brought the Chevy Bolt to market in 2016, presenting one of the few EV options to buyers at the time and competing directly with Tesla.
Bolt never had the same cachet as Tesla. And while consumers bought the vehicle, its sales lagged behind the Tesla Model 3.
Two years ago, GM introduced a refreshed Chevrolet Bolt EV and a larger, yet compact, new crossover called the Chevrolet Bolt EUV. The vehicles went on sale in summer 2021. GM lengthened the VUE's wheelbase by two inches. All told, the EUV (GM's acronym for Electric Utility Vehicle) is about 15cm longer than the Bolt EV. The result is a compact crossover with 39,1 inches of rear-seat legroom.
