The updated Ultium-based Chevrolet Bolt that will debut next year will be built at the old Chey Malibu plant in Kansas City, sealing the fate of General Motors’ last remaining sedan and preparing the way for the company’s next affordable EV.
The Malibu has been part of GM’s portfolio since 1964, with a pause between 1983 and 1997. However, as Americans increasingly turn to SUVs and crossovers, the Malibu will once again be retired from the dead track in November, according to a spokesperson quoted by Automotive News.
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GM switches factory for new Bolt
The previous Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV duo was assembled at General Motors' Orion factory in Detroit. For the next generation, which will be an EUV-only crossover, GM chose the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas, the same one that currently builds the aging Chevy Malibu sedan.
The Fairfax Assembly plant, which opened in 1987 to manufacture the Pontiac Grand Prix (remember Pontiac?), will be closed for upgrades and will come back online toward the end of next year when production of the EUV-only Bolt and gasoline-powered Cadillac XT4 will begin.
In the case of the Cadillac crossover, production will be paused, as the Kansas facility already assembles the model. The duality of the Fairfax Assembly plant after the upgrades are completed will give GM more flexibility, the spokesperson Kevin Kelly said.
"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 said for The Detroit News.
Before being discontinued last year, the previous-generation Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV were manufactured at GM’s Orion assembly plant in Detroit. Even after its discontinuation, inventory vehicles kept topping GM’s EV sales charts for a long time before being passed by newer models.
The new generation of Chevy’s entry-level EV will only be offered as a crossover, the company confirmed to InsideEVs, integrating the latest Ultium battery and drive motor technology that’s also used on the new Chevy Blazer EV, GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq.
The Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City has roughly 2,200 employees. The company spokesperson said that part of the workforce will be laid off during the production pause next year.
