General Motors (GM) has announced its Bolt EV production shutdown will last longer than originally anticipated. After initially hoping to restart production in mid-September, the automaker has pushed that back to at least mid-October.
The extended shutdown comes after GM recalled all 142,000+ Bolt EV and Bolt EUVs ever made over concerns the batteries can catch fire. The recall will cost the automaker $1.8 billion.
In a statement Thursday, GM said production and sales will only resume when they believe the fire risk has been addressed (via Reuters).
The company says that in rare circumstances, a torn anode tab and folded separator can both be present in a single battery cell, resulting in the possibility of a fire.
While they wait for replacement batteries to arrive from LG Energy Solutions, owners are being advised to not park inside, not to charge over 90%, and not to deplete their battery under 70 miles (112km) of remaining charge.
The most recent guidance from earlier this week included not parking within 50 feet of other cars to avoid the risk of fire spreading to nearby vehicles.
