This is great news!
Some of those Orion workers will likely be refitting some of the cars on site (there are 1-2K new builds outside the plant as of yesterday), and some of the workers will be transferred to other plants that need help, like Flint that has been trying to hire an additional 400 without success (Pot tests being blamed) Factory Zero is also bringing in a couple hundred this month, so while its not optimal for the workers, GM will make adjustments where they can.Unfortunately the Bolt production line will have to be shut down and many people will now be out of work. They really have no choice, since the cars cannot be sold anyway. I guess the chip shortage is well timed in this case.
Maybe those people could move over to the Hummer plant and get things ramped up faster, lol.
I am hoping they cease production for at least the rest of this year. They are going to need replacement batteries for a minimum of 70K cars and possibly 140K cars.I expect Bolt production to be down at least a month, possibly more, as GM is still working with LG to figure things out.
Ya, that is certainly a possibility, I think this 140K car recall is going to take a couple years to cycle through, It's hard to say how GM, and LG will pull this off. I think GM will want to keep the supply chain running and the sales chain supplied with Bolts. Shutting down the entire Bolt supply chain (for a long factory stoppage), would have too many unintended consequences, lower tier suppliers would be financially devastated. We will have to wait and see how they proceed...I am hoping they cease production for at least the rest of this year. They are going to need replacement batteries for a minimum of 70K cars and possibly 140K cars.
Bolt production is planned to re-start on the week of September 13th per Detroit NewsI am hoping they cease production for at least the rest of this year. They are going to need replacement batteries for a minimum of 70K cars and possibly 140K cars.
Someone on the Bolt forums claimed that their new EUV was being built, and were told by GM that all batteries after August 1, were good. I am not sure if that is believable or not. They have to either fix the machines that fold and tear the anode/separator, or they have to institute additional inspections and checks. Currently they do use cameras, but apparently that has not worked well. I think they would need to "slow down" production to make it more reliable.Bolt production is planned to re-start on the week of September 13th per Detroit News
I think you will see GM direct half the production to new builds and half to recall or something like that (its too expensive to shut down Bolt Production long term), they also may begin bringing them in from Korea, China, or Poland. Ultium is a different chemistry, and process, and cell, so that production equipment is not interchangeable.Someone on the Bolt forums claimed that their new EUV was being built, and were told by GM that all batteries after August 1, were good. I am not sure if that is believable or not. They have to either fix the machines that fold and tear the anode/separator, or they have to institute additional inspections and checks. Currently they do use cameras, but apparently that has not worked well. I think they would need to "slow down" production to make it more reliable.
At any rate here are some numbers to ponder:
LG claims the Holland plant capacity is 5 GWH/year.
Current Bolt production requires 3.6 GWH /year.
Replacing 70K Bolt batteries requires 4.6 GWH.
Replacing 140K Bolt batteries requires 9.2 GWH.
Holland plant is also building initial Ultium batteries, unknown GWH at this point.
Can LG ramp up Korea and China to build excess Bolt batteries?
Long ago, when I was a kid, "Mission Impossible" was one of my favorite TV shows.
This article throws the accuracy of the August 1st date into doubt. I think Bolt owners are going to be waiting a while..Someone on the Bolt forums claimed that their new EUV was being built, and were told by GM that all batteries after August 1, were good. I am not sure if that is believable or not. They have to either fix the machines that fold and tear the anode/separator, or they have to institute additional inspections and checks. Currently they do use cameras, but apparently that has not worked well. I think they would need to "slow down" production to make it more reliable.
At any rate here are some numbers to ponder:
LG claims the Holland plant capacity is 5 GWH/year.
Current Bolt production requires 3.6 GWH /year.
Replacing 70K Bolt batteries requires 4.6 GWH.
Replacing 140K Bolt batteries requires 9.2 GWH.
Holland plant is also building initial Ultium batteries, unknown GWH at this point.
Can LG ramp up Korea and China to build excess Bolt batteries?
Long ago, when I was a kid, "Mission Impossible" was one of my favorite TV shows.
Well that is definitely an iffy headline. Going through the article it seems as both parties are cooperating and doing everything they can to figure this out.This article throws the accuracy of the August 1st date into doubt. I think Bolt owners are going to be waiting a while..
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GM 'not confident' LG Chem will build defect-free Bolt batteries
But GM is working around the clock with battery-maker LG Chem to find the cause of battery defects that pose a fire risk in the Chevrolet Bolt EVs.www.freep.com
Ya, I have understood LG started off very arrogant, but have since been cooperating and working hard to solve the issues. This is scary news for the Hummer Launch, as if the problem is production related and not simply inspection, it could cause significant problems. Cylindrical cells might start looking better at some point?Well that is definitely an iffy headline. Going through the article it seems as both parties are cooperating and doing everything they can to figure this out.
this situation is bad for EV's in general...Man that’s a bummer for Bolt owners and the employees of that plant. I hope they get it figured out quick so they can get those people back to work.
Wow, more bad newsThe 1000 employees at Orion are laid off. And another 2017 Bolt just went up in flames, this time while at a low state of charge and not having been charged recently, It took out two other cars as well.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BoltEV/comments/pesn3h
As an explosives expert what evidence do you see there of an explosion? I am not seeing any evidence of an overpressure event. Car structure and roof are deformed in (melted), not out, and the doors, hood, and hatch are aluminum, so they melted, do not seem to have been blown off.The photos look like a car bomb went off. GM’s narrative is going to have to change…again. I love so many things about the Hummer, but I am questioning parking something in/around my house that has ANY possibility of exploding this forcefully. I am literally an explosives expert, and this is concerning.
It was not an explosion, the fire happened overnight, that is simply an exaggeration in the headlines.As an explosives expert what evidence do you see there of an explosion? I am not seeing any evidence of an overpressure event. Car structure and roof are deformed in (melted), not out, and the doors, hood, and hatch are aluminum, so they melted, do not seem to have been blown off.
That was what I thought, but I wanted to ask @Shaved Ice as he is perhaps seeing something I am not. So far I have only seen or read about one EV battery fire that was a definite overpressure event, it was a Kona EV, in Canada a couple years ago and blew the garage door clear across the street.It was not an explosion, the fire happened overnight, that is simply an exaggeration in the headlines.