GM is halting Bolt EV and EUV production until ‘LG can supply defect-free batteries’

GM confirmed that it is halting Bolt EV and EUV production until “LG can supply defect-free battery cells” for the electric vehicles.

For months, we have been reporting on the mounting pressure to have GM recall the Bolt EV after several cars caught on fire while charging.

Everything pointed to a similar battery defect as Hyundai experienced with its LG batteries in the Kona EV, but while the Korean automaker recalled the vehicles to replace the batteries, GM resisted battery replacements.

Last week, GM finally caved and announced that it will replace batteries in all 2017 to 2022 Bolt EVs.

As we reported at the time, GM put the blame on LG for the first time, and after extending the recall to even the most recent Bolt EVs in production, it raised questions about the current brand-new Bolt EV and EUVs being produced.

It wasn’t really a problem last week since GM had already stopped production due to the chip shortage.

Now GM has commented on the situation and confirmed that the automaker is going to halt production until LG can supply them with new cells that are “defect-free.”

GM spokesman Daniel Flores said in a statement to The Verge:

“We will not resume repairs or restart production until we are confident LG is producing defect free products for us.”

This might take some time since the first defect-free products are likely going to have to be used to replace the existing batteries in Bolt EVs being recalled.

GM has reiterated that it doesn’t expect the situation to affect its partnership with LG when it comes to the Ulitium batteries that are going to power its upcoming new electric vehicles, like the Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyric.

Electrek‘s take

GM is in a strange situation. We speculated that the company’s reticence to replace the batteries and admit that there is a problem with them was linked to its ongoing partnership with LG when it comes to Ultium.

Fortunately, it looks like there was enough pressure for them to finally do the right thing – even if it took almost a year.

It’s interesting to now see them use much stronger language with LG.