General Motors announced Friday that it will resume sales of the Chevrolet Blazer electric vehicle, which it was forced to halt in December due to a software issue.
The company said issues centered around the functionality of the touchscreen interface and fast charging functionality were resolved through software updates.
GM is also lowering the prices of some Blazer EV models by about $6,000, and with the government's $7,500 tax credit, each Blazer model will cost less than $50,000. The company will announce exact pricing for the standard Blazer LT FWD at a later date, but said prices will start under $50,000.
“We're excited to once again make the Chevrolet Blazer EV available, this time with an attractive price, enhanced features and functionality, and full consumer tax credit,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “I will.”
General Motors said it is applying new production standards to all electric vehicles, taking what it learned from the Blazer problems. Due to the new standards, the company announced in February that it would discontinue sales of medium-duty trucks before the 2024 model year arrived at dealers. The company said the sales suspension lasted only two weeks as a result of new aggressive guidelines.
GM lowered some of its EV production expectations as sales slumped, in part due to consumer concerns about the cost of long-distance travel.
The company said in its January earnings call that it would bring back some plug-in gas-electric hybrid models in the United States.
In the U.S., hybrid sales growth outpaced electric vehicle sales last year as environmentally conscious consumers bought hybrid vehicles due to concerns about electric vehicle range and the scarcity of charging stations.
GM told investors during its January earnings call that it plans to sell 200,000 to 300,000 EVs in North America this year, but CEO Mary Barra said she plans to adjust as needed. Then he said.
“It's true that the pace of growth in EVs is slowing, and that creates uncertainty. We will produce according to demand,” Barra said.
