GM EV pickups threaten Chevy Bolts' future

DETROIT — Electric pickup production coming to General Motors' Orion Assembly plant in Michigan could spell the end of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV by 2024.

Orion currently builds the Bolt EV hatchback and the larger EUV crossover. The hatchback has been in production since 2016, and crossover production began last year. Both are powered by GM's previous-generation batteries, rather than the Ultium batteries used in the GMC Hummer and upcoming Cadillac Lyriq.

GM plans to build the Ultium-powered Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups at Orion starting in 2024. GM President Mark Reuss said Orion will have capacity to build 360,000 pickups annually when fully ramped up.

Bolt output will continue as the automaker converts Orion for electric pickup production, but Reuss said GM had nothing to announce related to the Bolt's future beyond that.

AutoForecast Solutions expects GM to discontinue the Bolt EV in 2023 and the Bolt EUV in 2024, just in time for pickup production. By then, GM also will be selling the electric Chevy Equinox crossover, which will start around $30,000.

"The size of the Bolt itself isn't a popular size for the American consumer. It's a little too small," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. "And with advances in battery technology and motor technology, they're getting more mileage out of a charge and making the vehicles bigger. So the pricing and the battery range can move up a step and basically replace the Bolt with a smaller version of the Equinox."

The Bolt has been troubled for more than a year as GM has dealt with a battery-fire recall. The automaker is prioritizing battery replacements for current owners, so Orion has been idled since August, aside from two weeks of limited production in early November to provide vehicles for customers during recall repairs. Reuss said GM will give an update on Bolt production in February.