General Motors appears poised for a comeback this year as executives believe they’ve overcome the challenges of electric vehicle “manufacturing hell”. Will General Motors finally deliver on its electric vehicle (EV) sales promises in 2024 after two consecutive years of falling short?
Can General Motors finally put its manufacturing woes behind it?
Despite achieving a notable milestone by delivering 75,883 electric vehicles in the past year, General Motors again fell short of its target to sell 100,000 units on their own in the second half of 2023?
The manufacturer faced unforeseen setbacks, including freight disruptions and software malfunctions, which ultimately pushed back schedules. After a virtual three-month hiatus, General Motors lifted the Blazer EV’s stop-sale order earlier this month. In December, General Motors instituted a stop-sale on its vehicles just four months after taking initial orders.
General Motors has confirmed that it is temporarily halting all gross sales in order to rectify a technical issue affecting its software system. Chevrolet clarified that the recall affected a limited scope of Blazer EV owners, deeming it non-safety-related in nature.
General Motors discontinued production of its top-selling Chevrolet Bolt Electric Vehicle at the end of 2023, a move that will significantly impact the company’s electric vehicle sales, as it accounted for more than 81% of its overall EV sales in the previous year, with 62,045 units sold.
General Motors aims to manufacture between 200,000 and 300,000 electric vehicles powered by its Ultium battery technology, a significant increase of approximately 20 times the number produced in 2023. The objective still lies in achieving its original target of producing 400,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by mid-2024, with a strong focus on staying on track and meeting the initial goal.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra designated 2024 as a year of “execution” for the company, emphasizing its need to regain momentum. Ensuring the successful launch of auto listings and fine-tuning software configurations takes top priority.
CFO Paul Jacobson mentioned during his recent address that the company has faced hurdles in scaling up its Ultium battery production. Noting that “we’ve had some challenges scaling it,” he expressed optimism, stating that “I believe most of these are behind us.”
General Motors provided less than 14,000 units of Ultium-based electric vehicles in 2023, including the Cadillac Lyriq (9,154 units) and GMC Hummer (3,244 units), a modest start to its electrification efforts. The Chevrolet Blazer EV and Silverado EV WT began hitting the market in late 2023, boasting a total of 482 and 461 fashion combinations, respectively, for the 2023 model year.
Rivian sold more unique R1S designs last year than General Motors produced Ultium EV models. Rivian’s all-electric R1S SUV made a significant impact in the US market, ranking as the seventh top-selling electric vehicle with an impressive 24,783 deliveries. Chevy’s Bolt EV was third.
What drove success at Manufacturing unit Zero was our relentless pursuit of process improvements, which enabled us to navigate unprecedented challenges?
General Motors has reportedly more than doubled its battery production capacity at its Manufacturing unit Zero facility this autumn, but further investments are still needed to meet growing demand.
General Motors expedited the development of its personal best practices for Ultium battery production to accelerate output and bring products to market sooner. General Motors skipped the traditional assembly-line setup, opting instead to initiate quality control checks early in the production process.
The corporation implemented fully automated battery testing directly at the plant rather than conducting trials elsewhere, according to Mike Anderson, Vice President of Global Electrification and Battery Programs.
In order to ensure precise placement of battery cells, a robotic system is used to stack six pouches simultaneously, yet potential mistakes can still arise due to the complexity of the process.
If the cells do not align perfectly, the unit will distort, causing the cell to fail to link with its counterparts. Detroit’s Fire Department has responded to emergencies at Factory Zero nine times since August.
General Motors aims to overcome battery-related issues by collaborating with experts, including former Tesla battery specialist Kurt Kelty, following the hiring of battery specialists, consultants, and other professionals.
Anderson believes that the corporation has effectively pivoted at its battery production facility, with a focus on meeting General Motors’ manufacturing target this year.
Automakers aren’t alone in facing software-related delays to their electric vehicle (EV) targets; General Motors is just one example of a company struggling to overcome these challenges. Porsche has finally unveiled its all-electric Macan EV, a launch that follows a nearly two-year delay since the initial announcement. Ford issued a stop-ship order on its F-150 Lightning model in February.
General Motors is poised to unveil its latest innovation, a revamped Chevrolet Bolt featuring cutting-edge Ultium technology and Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) batteries, set to revolutionize the industry and generate massive cost savings for the company – billions, in fact – as early as next year.
What do you guys suppose? General Motors has consistently breached numerous guarantees in the past. Will 2024 truly revolutionize our reality? I suppose the original text and then improve it in a different style as a professional editor. I will return direct answer ONLY without any explanation or comment. If the text cannot be improved, I will return “SKIP”.
