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Tag: GM

  • GM Investing $650 Million in Lithium Americas for Lithium Mining

    GM Investing $650 Million in Lithium Americas for Lithium Mining

    General Motors is investing $650 million in Lithium Americas to help develop the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada.

    As automakers transition to electric vehicles, the lithium needed for battery production is quickly becoming one of the most important elements to the automotive supply chain. GM wants to ensure it has access to all the supplies it will need and is willing to invest in Lithium Americas to make that happen.

    “GM has secured all the battery material we need to build more than 1 million EVs annually in North America in 2025 and our future production will increasingly draw from domestic resources like the site in Nevada we’re developing with Lithium Americas,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “Direct sourcing critical EV raw materials and components from suppliers in North America and free-trade-agreement countries helps make our supply chain more secure, helps us manage cell costs, and creates jobs.”

    “The agreement with GM is a major milestone in moving Thacker Pass toward production, while setting a foundation for the separation of our U.S. and Argentine businesses,” said Lithium Americas President and CEO Jonathan Evans. “This relationship underscores our commitment to develop a sustainable domestic lithium supply chain for electric vehicles. We are pleased to have GM as our largest investor, and we look forward to working together to accelerate the energy transition while spurring job creation and economic growth in America.”

    GM has imposed certain conditions to its investment, however, including court approval for the mining operation to move forward, as well as a reorganization of Lithium Americas.

    GM’s investment will be split between two tranches. The funds for the first tranche will be held in escrow until certain conditions are met, including the outcome of the Record of Decision ruling currently pending in U.S. District Court. If those conditions are met, the funds will be released and GM will become a shareholder in Lithium Americas. The escrow release is expected to occur no later than the end of 2023. The second tranche investment is expected to be made into Lithium Americas’ U.S.-focused lithium business following the separation of its U.S. and Argentina businesses and is contingent on similar conditions, including Lithium Americas securing sufficient capital to fund the development expenditures to support Thacker Pass.

    GM’s investment will likely be followed by similar measures from other automakers as demand for lithium continues to skyrocket.

  • GM Finally Begins Production of the Hummer SUV

    GM Finally Begins Production of the Hummer SUV

    General Motors has finally begun production of the Hummer SUV, over a year after production of the Hummer pickup began.

    Once the poster child for excess fuel consumption and…well…just excess, GM relaunched the Hummer as an electric vehicle. In many ways the platform was the ideal option for an EV, since the size of the vehicle provides plenty of room for batteries.

    While the pickup version of the new EV began production in late 2021, The Detroit News is reporting that the SUV variant has just begun production, with the first orders slated for delivery at the end of the first quarter.

    “This is just, I think, the most sought-after vehicle in the world right now,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president of GMC and Buick. “It really is a super truck as we positioned it.”

  • GM Recalls Hummer and BrightDrop EV600 Over Battery Issue

    GM Recalls Hummer and BrightDrop EV600 Over Battery Issue

    General Motors (GM) is recalling two of its electric vehicles EVs) over an issue with their batteries.

    GM relaunched the Hummer as an EV in 2021. The SUV’s size — one of the things that led to it originally becoming the quintessential gas-guzzler — made it the ideal platform to host the necessary batteries that power all EVs.

    Unfortunately, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM has a problem with the seal on some battery packs in both the Hummer EV and the BrightDrop EV600:

    General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2022 model year BrightDrop EV600 and 2022 to 2023 model year GMC Hummer vehicles. The high-voltage battery pack enclosure in some of these vehicles may not have been properly sealed. If the pack enclosure is not sealed, water can enter the pack.

    The report states that GM is aware of at least three instances of water entering the battery packs. In two such cases, the vehicles failed to start, while the third lost power while driving. The company is not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of the issue.

    Owner notification is scheduled to begin next month.

    Dealers will be notified on October 13, 2022. Owner interim notification is estimated to begin on November 28, 2022. GM will provide an estimate for owner remedy notification when one is available.

  • GM Taking on Tesla With New Energy Division

    GM Taking on Tesla With New Energy Division

    GM is ramping up the pressure on Tesla, setting up a new energy division to more directly compete.

    GM has made no secret of its desire to dethrone Tesla as the top electric vehicle (EV) maker. Unfortunately for GM, one of Tesla’s advantages is its wide portfolio of electric energy tech. The older automaker appears poised to address that disparity with its new division.

    According to The Verge, the new GM Energy division will go far beyond merely selling EVs and will also sell batteries, solar panels, charging equipment, and software for both residential and commercial customers. The goal is to create an entire ecosystem that will support its EV lineup and provide a direct answer to Tesla.

    Travis Hester, GM’s chief EV officer, compared his company’s approach with smaller, lesser-known companies that are producing equipment to support the EV market.

    “They don’t have a vehicle,” Hester told The Verge. “And frankly, they don’t have the dealer network that we have.”

    Hester sees tremendous potential to go beyond just selling EVs, instead providing customers with the entire package.

    “At that moment, that electrification moment, they have to decide how they’re going to run that vehicle,” he said. “They have to decide are they going to buy a standard charger for their home? Is it going to be a bi-directional charger? Do they want to add stationary storage as a fixed box? Do they want to do solar? And they can go as far into that ecosystem or as little as possible depending on their individual needs.”

    Ultimately, Hester says GM Energy is the company’s path forward.

    “It’s not a business unit,” Hester said. “It is our business as we go forward.”

  • GM Scores Contract With Hertz for 175,000 Electric Vehicles

    GM Scores Contract With Hertz for 175,000 Electric Vehicles

    GM has scored a major contract with rental company Hertz, agreeing to provide the latter with 175,000 electric vehicles (EVs) over the next five years.

    Like most automakers, General Motors is racing to transition to EVs. The company has stated a “goal of 1 million units of EV capacity by the end of 2025.” It’s latest contract with Hertz is a major step in that direction, with a commitment to delivering 175,000 Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and BrightDrop EVs.

    “It’s exciting that two iconic American companies that have shaped the evolution of transportation for more than a century are coming together to redefine the future of mobility in the 21st century,” said Stephen Scherr, Hertz CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with GM on this initiative, which will dramatically expand our EV offering to Hertz customers, including leisure and business travelers, rideshare drivers and corporates.”

    “Our work with Hertz is a huge step forward for emissions reduction and EV adoption that will help create thousands of new EV customers for GM,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “With the vehicle choice, technology and driving range we’re delivering, I’m confident that each rental experience will further increase purchase consideration for our products and drive growth for our company.”

    Hertz’s wants to have the largest fleet of rental EVs in North America. Its deal with GM should help it achieve that goal.

  • GM’s Cruise Robotaxi Service Hits a Speed Bump

    GM’s Cruise Robotaxi Service Hits a Speed Bump

    General Motors’ Cruise has hit a speed bump, forced to recall its robotaxis just a day after getting authorization to operate them in California.

    Like many companies, GM and Cruise are racing to develop autonomous vehicle capabilities. Cruise scored an early victory over its rivals, becoming the first to receive the green light to operate in California.

    According to TheStreet, however, the victory was short-lived. Just a day after receiving its authorization, a Cruise robotaxi was involved in an accident in which its autonomous systems were to blame.

    The company “is recalling certain automated driving systems (ADS),” according to documents filed with the National High Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “The software may, in certain circumstances when making an unprotected left, cause the ADS to incorrectly predict another vehicle’s path or be insufficiently reactive to the sudden path change of a road user.”

    The news is a major setback for the autonomous vehicle company and further illustrates the challenges involved in making autonomous driving a reality.

  • Don’t Want GM OnStar? Too Bad…GM Makes It a Mandatory Option

    Don’t Want GM OnStar? Too Bad…GM Makes It a Mandatory Option

    Car and trucker buyers shopping for some GM models, but wanting to avoid OnStar, are out of luck.

    GM OnStar is the company’s premium concierge service that provides navigation, hands-free calling, vehicle diagnostics, emergency services, and more. The service is normally a monthly subscription, although customers that didn’t want to pay it could always opt-out.

    Unfortunately, it appears GM is ending the opt-out option, making a three-year OnStar subscription a mandatory upgrade, according to GM Authority.

    “To enhance our customers’ vehicle ownership experience, beginning June 2, 2022, new retail Buick and GMC vehicles will include three years of OnStar and Connected Services Premium Plan,” a GM spokesperson told the outlet. “This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience.”

    The service will also be a mandatory option for the 2023 Cadillac Escalade.

    “This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services,” the spokesperson told GM Authority. “By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience.”

    The price of a three-year subscription for the majority of models comes in at $1,500, with a couple priced at $905 and a couple of other models priced at $1,675. As a result, for the majority of models, the base price will increase by $1,500.

  • Supply Chain Woes Leave GM With 95,000 Vehicles Waiting for Parts

    Supply Chain Woes Leave GM With 95,000 Vehicles Waiting for Parts

    Supply chain issues continue to plague the auto industry, with GM currently waiting for parts for some 95,000 vehicles.

    Since the early days of the pandemic, automakers have struggled to keep up with demand as semiconductors and other components have been in short supply. Despite the pandemic easing, the supply chain issues continue to be a major problem, with GM still not able to secure enough semiconductors.

    As a result, GM will hold about 95,000 vehicles manufactured without certain components in company inventory until they are completed and will recognize revenue when they are sold to dealers, which is expected to happen throughout the second half of 2022. The impact of these events, which is not expected to impact GM’s full-year earnings guidance, is discussed in an SEC Form 8-K filed today.

    Despite the news, the company is still bullish on its overall outlook, based on its past quarters and its upcoming lineup.

    “GM’s sales and market share have grown each of the last three quarters, even with lingering supply chain disruptions,” said Steve Carlisle, GM executive vice president and president, North America. “Our long-term momentum will continue to build thanks to the launches of groundbreaking new EVs like the GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ, and the tremendous customer response to the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.”

  • GM Will Double Its Super Cruise Network

    GM Will Double Its Super Cruise Network

    GM is expanding its hands-free driving technology, Super Cruise, so it can be used on hundreds of thousands of miles of additional roads.

    Super Cruise is GM’s hands-free driving system and has received generally positive reviews, often scoring points over rival Tesla’s system. The company is now doubling the scope of Super Cruise in the US and Canada, adding hundreds of thousands of miles of roads.

    Super Cruise uses a combination of LiDAR map data, radar, GPS, and real-time cameras to provide a hands-free driving experience. “Sensor fusion” combines these various features and abilities to create a sensory field around the vehicle.

    The system is capable of pacing and distancing, and even changing lanes and passing at the behest of the driver or the system itself.

    “GM is all in when it comes to accessible advanced driver assistance technology. We are adding Super Cruise to more vehicles than ever, and on more roads for more customers to experience,” said Mario Maiorana, GM chief engineer, Super Cruise. “We are pursuing what we believe to be the most comprehensive path to autonomy in the industry with responsible deployment of automated driving technology like Super Cruise at the core of what we do.”

  • GM Targets 1 Million EVs by 2025

    GM Targets 1 Million EVs by 2025

    GM is continuing its efforts to convert to an electric vehicle (EV) lineup, securing supply lines to help it hit 1 million EVs by 2025.

    Like many automakers, GM has been heavily investing in EV development. At the beginning of the year, the company announced plans to invest $7 billion in four Michigan plants in an effort to speed up EV production. Similarly, CEO Mary Barra said the company could eventually top Tesla in the EV market.

    GM has taken a significant step toward that goal, signing long-term agreements with both LG Chem Ltd and Livent Corp for the materials necessary to create EV batteries.

    Livent will supply GM with battery-grade lithium hydroxide over a six-year period, starting in 2025.

    “We are building a strong, sustainable, scalable and secure supply chain to help meet our fast-growing EV production needs,” said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “We will further localize the lithium supply chain in North America over the course of the agreement. In addition, it is aligned with our approach to responsible sourcing and supply chain management and demonstrates our commitment to strong supplier relationships.”

    “Importantly, GM now has contractual commitments secured with strategic partners for all battery raw material to support our goal of 1 million units of EV capacity by the end of 2025,” added Morrison

    LG Chem, on the other hand, will supply GM with more than 950,000 tons of Cathode Active Material (CAM), starting in the second half of 2022 and continuing through 2030.

    GM is working with both companies to help localize production in North America to the extent possible.

  • GM Turns to 3D Printing to Keep Tahoe Production On Track

    GM Turns to 3D Printing to Keep Tahoe Production On Track

    GM is turning to 3D printing to keep Tahoe production on track, printing some 60,000 parts as supply chain issues impact manufacturing.

    The global semiconductor shortage and supply chain issues have been particularly difficult on automakers. GM, Ford, Toyota, Opel, and others have all experienced production issues. According to CNET, GM is turning to 3D printing to create 60,000 parts in a fraction of the time it would otherwise require.

    GM’s management had the foresight to invest heavily in the tech in 2020, establishing the Additive Industralization Center using 15,000 square feet of space as a home for the 3D printing operation. The tech’s time to shine came roughly a year later, thanks to a change engineers made to the 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The change involved a new “spoiler closeout seal” to fill a gap in the SUV’s rear, with each of the 30,000 Tahoes in production needing two.

    Thanks to 3D printing, GM was able to design and print all 60,000 parts in just five weeks, half the time traditional injection-molding would have taken.

    With ongoing advances in the technology, 3D printing will no doubt play an increasingly important role in manufacturing across a range of industries.

  • GM Kills Off Marketplace

    GM Kills Off Marketplace

    GM has announced it has killed off Marketplace, one of its more innovative convenience features.

    Marketplace was an app that allowed GM owners to purchase gas, food, drinks, and more from their in-vehicle infotainment systems. The company first unveiled the product in 2017, and it was a comprehensive way for drivers to access various roadside services. In addition to fuel, food, and drinks, drivers could make hotel reservations, as well as order curbside pickup. Marketplace was also touted as a way for businesses to more easily engage with drivers and potential customers.

    Despite its innovative features, GM is killing off Marketplace, according to CNBC.

    “We routinely evaluate our services to ensure they provide the best experience for our members. In this spirit, we have decided to discontinue our Marketplace services,” GM said in an email to vehicle owners.

    It seems low adoption rate is to blame for the feature’s untimely demise, with one engineer saying activation was only in the “thousands.”

  • GM’s Mary Barra Says Company Could Top Tesla in EV Market

    GM’s Mary Barra Says Company Could Top Tesla in EV Market

    GM CEO Mary Barra is throwing down the gauntlet, claiming her company will top Tesla in the EV market.

    Tesla is the current reigning champion of the EV market. The company was synonymous with EVs for years, with traditional automakers only recently beginning to pivot to EVs en masse.

    GM is one such company, and is investing heavily in the transition, recently announcing a $7 billion investment in several Michigan plants, in an effort to convert half of its North America productions to EVs by 2030.

    Barra, however, has her sights set on a much more ambitious goal: unseating Tesla as the top dog in the EV market.

    “We want to lead in EVs. Full stop,” Barra told CBS News’ Ben Tracy. “And so that’s where we’re aggressively moving.”

    A big part of that plan is making more affordable EVs, much cheaper than the company’s Hummer, or Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck.

    “The Equinox EV crossover is going to start around $30,000,” she said. “We’re also working on a vehicle that will even be more affordable than that.”

    “Customers are starting to be much more interested in EVs but they want the vehicle they want,” she added.

    As CBS News points out, GM definitely has an uphill battle. Tesla has 70% of the US EV market, compared to GM’s 6%. Nonetheless, Barra appears undeterred.

    “When you look at how many vehicles we’re going to be able to launch across many segments, that’s why by mid-decade we think we’ll be in a leadership position,” she said.

    “Clearly, that’s what we’re working from a North America perspective and we’re just gonna keep going until we have global leadership as well.”

  • GM Investing $7 Billion in Michigan Plants to Further EV Production

    GM Investing $7 Billion in Michigan Plants to Further EV Production

    GM is investing $7 billion in four Michigan manufacturing sites, as it pivots to electric vehicle (EV) production.

    Like virtually every major automaker, GM is working to transition to electric vehicles. As part of that transition, GM has the goal of having “more than 1 million units of electric vehicle capacity in North America.”

    The company has announced its single biggest investment in company history, a whopping $7 billion. The investment will help create 4,000 new jobs, as well as retain 1,000.

    “Today we are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM’s EV leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the U.S., and our North American EV production capacity,” said Mary Barra, GM Chair and CEO. “We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including GMC HUMMER EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Our plan creates the broadest EV portfolio of any automaker and further solidifies our path toward U.S. EV leadership by mid-decade.”

    GM sees the investment as a way to vertically integrate its EV production, a major step toward its goal of converting half of its North American production to EV vehicles by 2030.

  • GM Plans to Double Revenue by 2030

    GM Plans to Double Revenue by 2030

    General Motors plans to double its annual revenue by 2030, a far cry from the semiconductor woes the auto industry is currently dealing with.

    The semiconductor crisis has been taking a major toll on the auto industry. GM recently had to shut down the majority of its US plants, as a result of the shortage, and many other automakers have taken similar measures.

    Despite the current challenges, GM sees a rosy future ahead, with plans to double its annual revenue by 2030. Much of those plans revolve around the transition to electric vehicles and autonomous driving.

    GM’s plan to reach leadership in EV market share in the U.S. while growing its profits from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. GM’s growth will be driven by the Ultium modular EV platform the company developed to launch a broad portfolio of highly desirable EVs using common, scalable components. The array of Ultium-powered EVs will include high-volume entries, including a Chevrolet crossover priced around $30,000, Buick crossovers, trucks from Chevrolet, GMC and HUMMER EV, as well as exquisitely crafted Cadillac EVs such as the upcoming LYRIQ and CELESTIQ.

    The company began meeting with investors on Wednesday, and is continuing Thursday, to discuss its plans in more detail.

    “GM’s vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion has placed us ahead of much of the competition in electrification, software-enabled services and autonomy,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “Our early investments in these growth trends have transformed GM from automaker to platform innovator, with customers at the center. GM will use its hardware and software platforms to innovate and improve their daily experience, leading everybody on the journey to an all-electric future.”

  • GM Ultra Cruise Will Bring True Hands-Free Driving Across 95% of Scenarios

    GM Ultra Cruise Will Bring True Hands-Free Driving Across 95% of Scenarios

    GM has announced its next generation autonomous driving software, Ultra Cruise, covering 95% of driving scenarios.

    Automakers the world over are racing to develop and deploy autonomous driving software. While Tesla gets the lion’s share of press, GM has quietly been making major improvements to its software.

    The company has announced Ultra Cruise, its next generation system that will cover 2 million miles of roads in the US and Canada at lunch, and has the ability to grow to 3.4 million miles. GM says the software provides a true hands-free experience for 95% of driving scenarios.

    “Ultra Cruise is not just a game changer in terms of what it enables ­− a door-to-door hands-free driving experience − but a technological one as well,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “It’s been developed completely in-house.”

    Rather than rely on a single type of sensing technology, GM opted to use cameras, radar and LiDAR, as well as integrated LiDAR behind the windshield.

    “We believe that the combination of different sensors, or sensor fusion, leads to the most robust hands-free driver-assist system for our customers,” said Parks.

    Ultra Cruise will start rolling out in 2023 on select models, with Cadillac leading the way.

  • White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

    White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

    The White House is discussing the ongoing semiconductor crisis with companies as the auto industry is poised to lose $210 billion in revenue.

    The semiconductor crisis has taken a major toll on the auto industry, with manufacturers around the world being impacted. For example, GM recently announced it would shut down most of its American plants as a result of the shortage, and had previously said it would ship some 2021 trucks without their full complement of chips, leading to 1 MPG less than previous models.

    Companies are taking various measures to ease the shortage. Intel has said it will start producing chips for the auto industry, but warned it would take months before its first chips were produced.

    In the meantime, a report from AlixPartners is warning the crisis will cost auto makers $210 billion in revenue in 2021, exacerbated by a COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a main hub for automotive semiconductor manufacturing.

    “Of course, everyone had hoped that the chip crisis would have abated more by now, but unfortunate events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia and continued problems elsewhere have exacerbated things,” said Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. “Also, chips are just one of a multitude of extraordinary disruptions the industry is facing—including everything from resin and steel shortages to labor shortages. There’s no room for error for automakers and suppliers right now; they need to calculate every alternative and make sure they’re undertaking only the best options.”

    At the same time, the White House is engaging with companies in an effort to determine what measures can be taken to ease the crisis. According to TheStreet, executives from Apple, Ford, General Motors, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung were expected to attend a meeting at the White House Thursday to discuss the issues.

    Unfortunately, in the short term, there appears to be no quick fixes or easy answers to the problem.

  • GM and LG Working to Fix Bolt Battery Issues

    GM and LG Working to Fix Bolt Battery Issues

    General Motors and LG are working to fix the issues that led to a recall of the Chevy Bolt over fire concerns.

    GM originally recalled some Bolts in late 2020 over reports they could catch on fire while charging. In July, reports surfaced that some vehicles had caught on fire despite being serviced in the recall, leading GM to expand the recall.

    The issue appears to be the result of defective LG batteries, and both companies are pulling out the stops to address the issue.

    “Experts from GM and LG continue to work around the clock on the issues,” GM spokesman Dan Flores said, according to Reuters. “We are determined to do the right thing for our customers and resolve the problem once and for all. Once we are confident LG can provide us with good battery modules, we will begin repairs as quickly as we can.”

    The fix will vary, depending on the specific Bolt model, with older vehicles having the entire battery pack replaced. In contrast, newer vehicles will only have the defective modules replaced.

  • Chip Shortage Shuts Down Almost All GM’s North American Production

    Chip Shortage Shuts Down Almost All GM’s North American Production

    GM is shutting down production at almost all of its North American plants as a result of the global chip shortage.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global semiconductor shortage. Initially, it started as a result of production delays from lockdowns and quarantine, and was exacerbated by increased demand for computers, tablets and consoles, as well as GPUs for crypto mining.

    The auto industry has been particularly hard hit, with almost every major manufacturer slowing or halting production as a result of the shortage. GM had previously announced it would ship some 2021 trucks without their full complement of fuel economy chips, leading the vehicles to get 1 MPG less than previous models.

    Now GM is halting production altogether at most of its North American plants. According to Detroit Free Press, production will continue in Arlington Assembly, Flint Assembly, Bowling Green Assembly and part of Lansing Grand River Assembly. All other plants, however, will halt production.

    Chipmakers are working hard to increase production, with even Intel pivoting to making automotive chips in an effort to help ease the strain. Unfortunately, it will still be some time before supply catches up to demand.

  • GM Extends Bolt Recall to 73,000 Additional Vehicles

    GM Extends Bolt Recall to 73,000 Additional Vehicles

    GM is voluntarily recalling an additional 73,000 Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUVs over a fire risk.

    GM initially issued a recall for the Bolt in November 2020 due to a charging issue that could cause the high-voltage battery pack to catch fire. GM then issued a warning a month ago over reports that at least two Bolts caught on fire despite being fixed in the initial recall.

    The company is now expanding its recall to cover all 2019-2022 Bolts, including the Bolt EUV.

    In rare circumstances, the batteries supplied to GM for these vehicles may have two manufacturing defects – a torn anode tab and folded separator – present in the same battery cell, which increases the risk of fire. Out of an abundance of caution, GM will replace defective battery modules in Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs with new modules, with an expected additional cost of approximately $1 billion.

    The issue appears to be a manufacturing defect in the batteries LG supplied to GM, and the two companies are working together to rectify the problem and replace the batteries.

    The recall impacts 9,335 2019 Bolts (6,989 in the US and 1,212 in Canada) and 63,683 2020-2022 Bolt and Bolt EUVs (52,403 in the US and 9,019 in Canada).

    “Our focus on safety and doing the right thing for our customers guides every decision we make at GM,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “As leaders in the transition to an all-electric future, we know that building and maintaining trust is critical. GM customers can be confident in our commitment to taking the steps to ensure the safety of these vehicles.”

  • GM and AT&T Partnering to Bring 5G to Vehicles

    GM and AT&T Partnering to Bring 5G to Vehicles

    GM and AT&T are partnering to bring 5G to GM’s vehicle lineup right off the assembly line.

    5G promises to revolutionize multiple industries, with its high speeds and low latency. Few stand to benefit as much as the automotive industry, with 5G seen as a crucial component of autonomous driving efforts.

    GM and AT&T are working together to make that a reality by bringing 5G to GM’s lineup by the end of the decade. The two companies will collaborate on building out a high performance 5G core, with a focus on improved coverage of roadways, better over-the-air software updates, improved navigation and mapping, as well as faster music and video downloads.

    The technology will begin rolling out in select 2024 models.

    “Together with AT&T, we’ve brought unprecedented experiences to the daily commute, family road trips and everything in between,” said Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of Global Connected Services. “As an in-vehicle connectivity leader, this rollout demonstrates our commitment to growth through software-enabled services and reimagining every customer touchpoint by enabling faster connectivity speeds to power in-vehicle voice-enabled services, navigation, and apps that our customers have grown to love.”

    “By connecting millions of GM vehicles to our nationwide 5G network, we will improve the customer experience for existing services while laying the groundwork for the next wave of innovation including autonomous driving,” said Gregory Wieboldt, senior vice president, Global Business, Industry Solutions, AT&T. “We now connect more vehicles than any other carrier and GM has played a critical role in our success. We’re honored to work alongside GM to usher the next chapter of connected driving.”