GM and LG Chem to develop all electric Chevy Bolt

In its effort to build the next-generation Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, which is claimed to do over 200 miles on a single electric charge, General Motors has joined hands with LG Chem.

The Detroit automaker announced yesterday, that the South Korean electronics company would supply nearly all of the powertrain parts as also other components for its upcoming 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, during a media briefing at GM's Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren Tech Center campus.

GM has entrusted the car's battery systems, infotainment as also other parts to LG's expertise.

This electric car, set to go into production next year, would be sold across the US and in a few of the company's global markets.

"Chevrolet needs to be disruptive in order to maintain our leadership position in electrification," Mark Reuss, GM's executive vice president of Global Product Development, purchasing and supply chain, was quoted by  techtimes.com.

"By taking the best of our in-house engineering prowess established with the Chevrolet Volt and Spark EV, and combining the experience of the LG Group, we're able to transform the concept of the industry's first long range, affordable EV into reality."

The Bolt, which would take on the Nissan Leaf, BMW AG's i3 and Tesla Motor's future Model 3, would carry a hefty price of $35,000.

"This is something we haven't done this way before, but the capability of LG Chem and other suppliers changes over time," said Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president for global product development, purchasing and supply chain, Detroit Free Press reported.

"Not that long ago, automakers had an adversarial relationship with their suppliers, behaving more like dictators than customers," Reuss said.

LG Chem, the South Korean electronics giant supplies batteries for the first and second generation of the Chevrolet Volt, from  a plant in Holland, Michigan.

While the Volt was an extended range plug-in backed up by a small gasoline engine, the Bolt would be the pure electric vehicle with a range of at least 200 miles.

Alternative power-train vehicles, whether gasoline-electric or plug-in hybrids or battery-only, were facing hard times in the US market and low gas prices and Americans' insatiable appetite for towing capacity and cargo space was fueling demand for pickup trucks, large SUVs and crossovers.