GM says EV hurdles are ‘not an issue now’ as new models roll out

GM had its fair share of EV hurdles last year, leading to disappointing sales. However, CEO Mary Barra says those bottlenecks are a thing of the past as new models like the Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs hit the market.

Moving past Production Hell

After delivering 75,883 electric cars last year, GM missed its goal of selling 100,000 EVs in the second half of 2023.

GM’s delayed rollouts were caused by software issues, freight delays, and other factors. CEO Mary Barra believes those issues are behind them. The company aims to build 200,000 to 300,000 EVs this year, about 20 times more than GM did in 2024.

It’s still short of GM’s previous 400K EV sales target through mid-2024. Barra calls 2024 the “year of execution” as the automaker looks to get back on track.

Other executives, including CFO Paul Jacobson, have echoed similar statements. Jacobson said earlier this year during a speech, “We’ve had some challenges scaling up,” adding, “I think most of those are behind us.”

GM sold less than 14,000 Ultium-based EVs (the other 62,045 were Bolt EV/EUV models) last year after encountering its version of Tesla’s “Production Hell.”

Are GM’s EV hurdles behind it?

Despite recent plans to boost its hybrid lineup, GM has several important all-electric models rolling out this year.

In a new interview with The Detroit News, Barra confirmed the (battery cell) issues are “behind us now.”

Barra said, “It’s not an issue now. As we move forward, we’re going to build to demand. We now have the capability: Factory Zero is up and running, Spring Hill is up and running, Ramos is launching.”

After ending the Chevy Blazer EV stop sale in March, GM introduced significantly lower prices. The 2024 Chevy Blazer EV (2LT AWD) now starts at $50,195, down $6,520 from its previous $56,715 starting price.

With the $7,500 EV tax credit included, the electric Blazer can be bought for as low as $42,695. That’s for the base 2LT AWD model with up to 279 miles range.

GM says a cheaper Blazer EV model will debut later this year with starting prices under $50,000. At around $42,500, the new entry-level Blazer EV will compete against Tesla’s best-selling Model Y, which starts at $43,990 and runs up to 260 miles.

Meanwhile, GM already has an affordable EV rolling out. Chevy Equinox EV deliveries kicked off last week. The company calls the new Equinox the “most affordable EV” in its class, with over 300 miles of range.

The base 1LT, starting at $35,000, will be available later this year. The lowest-priced (2LT FWD) model currently starts at $43,295.

With the tax credit included, prices fall to as low as $35,795. Once the 1LT model drops, starting prices could be as low as $27,495 as an “affordable game changer,” as Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet, calls it.

Chevy also revealed specs for the decked-out Silverado EV RST First Edition. With up to 440 miles of range and 754 hp, Chevy’s new electric truck looks to compete with Ford’s F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, and Tesla Cybertruck.

If you’re interested in checking out Chevy’s new EVs at some of the lowest prices to date, we can help you get started. You can use our links below to view deals on new 2024 Chevy EV models at a dealer near you.