GM Wrapping Production of Malibu to Shift to Bolt EV

Although General Motors is slowing the cadence of its electric vehicle production, it’s not halting it altogether. That’s evidenced by the move to end production of the Chevy Malibu at its plant in Kansas to transition over to the next generation Bolt EV.

Chevrolet ended the run for the original Chevrolet Bolt EV; however, its readying for the next-generation model at the Kansas

The automaker plans to shut down production on its third-best-selling vehicle to make way for the all-new Chevrolet Bolt EV in November. The Malibu is a big seller due to its popularity with fleet owners.

The company plans to stop production of the Cadillac XT4 SUV at the Fairfax Assembly Plant as well to make the necessary adjustment to the lines and facility to produce the new EV as well as the gas-powered XT4.

Production flexibility

The move “gives GM flexibility to respond to changes in customer demand,” GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly told Automotive News. There are other reasons for making the switchover.

The original Bolt was introduced in 2016 with the second generation arriving a few years later.

“To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025,” Kelly told the Detroit News.

“This will result in a layoff until production resumes for affected employees. Affected employees will be supported according to the provisions of the UAW-GM agreement.” The move isn’t a big surprise to the UAW, which secured a nearly $400 million investment in the plant, as part of the labor agreement it negotiated last year.

The Bolt was previously built at GM’s Orion Assembly Plant, 45 minutes north Detroit, but GM temporarily pulled the plug on the compact EVs. That site will begin producing the new Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV next year.

More Bolt Stories

• Next-Gen Chevy Bolt Will Only Come in EUV Form
• UAW Reveals GM Building a Cheaper Chevy Bolt
• Where’s My Affordable EV?

New and improved

The previous Bolt ran on an outdated architecture, but the new version will use the new Ultium EV platform that the rest of the company’s EVs, such as the Chevrolet Blazer EV and more. Not only that, it will be less expensive, coming in around $27,000.

UAW President Shawn Fain revealed some of the plans for the next iteration of the Chevrolet Bolt last fall.

The less expensive Bolt is part of $13.3 billion in new investment GM committed to as part of its 4.5-year agreement with its union. However, it is returning only as the larger EUV model, officials revealed late last year.

That came as a bit of a surprise as the Bolt EV outsold the bigger EUV, but that appears to largely be a factor of pricing. GM cut the sticker on both versions midyear last year, making the Bolt family one of the cheapest ways for potential buyers to get into an EV. But the hatchback started at $26,500 before delivery fees. The EUV came in $1,300 higher, at a starting MSRP of $27,800.

The Chevy Bolt was GM’s first mass produced EV, starting in 2016. The second-generation model arrived in 2021 with its larger sibling, the Bolt EUV. The two small crossovers paved the way for the company’s Ultium battery system, leading to the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer EV and more.