GM will suspend production of the Chevrolet Volt for four weeks – from September 17 until October 15.
“General Motors plans to idle the plant where it assembles the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid for four weeks starting next month, two people familiar with the plans said,” reported Automotive News, citing unnamed sources.
It would be the second interruption in production for the Volt. Earlier this year, the plant was shut down because GM had 6,319 Chevrolet Volts in its inventory, enough to supply dealers for 154 days.
This latest delay, however, is not related to sales.
“We are not idling the plant due to poor Volt sales. We’re gearing up for production of the new Impala,” Chevy spokesman David Darovitz said.
The 2014 Impala sedan will arrive in US showrooms in the first half of next year.
Volt demand has picked up this year, after sales last year fell short of GM’s goals. GM sold 10,666 Volts through July, more than triple the 2,870 sold during the same period a year earlier.
The Chevrolet Volt has a base MSRP of $39,145 before a $7,500 tax credit and can travel for up to 38 miles on battery power alone.