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Chevy temporarily halts Bolt production amid latest recall due to battery issues

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Chevrolet has temporarily halted Chevy Bolt production after multiple recalls for battery defects. 

“We will not resume repairs or restart production until we are confident LG is producing defect-free products for us,” GM spokesman Daniel Flores said. 

Flores’ statement hints that GM is looking to resume its Chevy Bolt production only when it is safe to do so. The traditional automaker plans to seek reimbursement from LG for the Chevy Bolt’s recalls, which has amounted to about $1 billion in losses. 

Despite the recall and its plans to seek reimbursements from LG, GM still plans to work with the South Korean battery cell manufacturer in the future. According to The Verge, LG will supply batteries for the other electric vehicles in GM’s EV lineup, like the Hummer EV and Cadillac LYRIQ.

General Motors’ continuing partnership with LG may extend to the manufacturing of its Ultium battery cells. The legacy automaker claims that Ultium is “GM’s brand of next-generation EV batteries, drive units, and platform.” 

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The Ultium battery cells are expected to offer an estimated driving range of up to 400 miles on a full charge with a 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.0 seconds. While the Ultium battery packs could be formed with 6, 8, 10, or 12 modules or up to 24 modules double-stacked. The Ultium battery packs stack long pouch cells vertically or horizontally, allowing for lower cabin floors. 

The Chevy Bolt has been subjected to multiple recalls due to its battery, which is supplied by LG. GM initially recalled 2017-2019 Chevy Bolts last November following reports of the vehicles catching fire. By May 2021, GM noted that it would prevent Bolt fires by installing new software on the vehicles.

This strategy did not work, as two more Bolts burned up in July despite having the software. A second recall was then initiated, with GM stating that it believed certain defects were causing the fires. 

A third recall was announced on August 20, 2021 following an incident of a 2020 Chevy Bolt catching fire. By this time, General Motors opted to recall every single Bolt that it has made, about 140,000, including the vehicle’s two new 2022 variants that were launched this year. 

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, reach out to me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.

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Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Tesla plans for new 300+ stall Supercharger with a special surprise for Semi

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(Credit: Tesla Owners East Bay/Twitter)

Tesla is planning for a new 300+ stall Supercharger station that will be an expansion of an existing facility, and the company is planning to add a surprise for the Semi.

The Firebaugh, California Supercharger is currently 72 Superchargers, but Tesla filed for an expansion that will add 232 additional plugs for passenger vehicles, and it also plans to add 16 Semichargers.

This will be the biggest Supercharger station Tesla will have to date, just months after it finished the Supercharger Oasis in Lost Hills, California, which has 168 stalls. This will have 304 total Supercharger stalls, and then the additional 16 Megachargers.

The Firebaugh Supercharger is located on I-5, which is a major reason for why Tesla has chosen the location for additional Megacharger plug-ins, as Tesla Semi Program Manager Dan Priestley said on X earlier today.

The project was revealed by MarcoRP, a Supercharger tracker.

The expansion is a massive signal for charging demand, especially as Tesla’s Superchargers are opened to numerous automakers and are no longer exclusive to the company’s EVs. Additionally, the installation of Megachargers is a good sign to come for the Tesla Semi program, which aims to truly ramp up this year.

Tesla plans to launch production of the Semi later this year.

It could also mean Tesla is going to expand its footprint of large-scale Supercharger projects in the coming years, which would be a big boost as EV adoption continues to soar in the United States.

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Tesla makes two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has made two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles in its lineup, and the changes come just as the new model year begins production.

Last year, Tesla launched the Model Y Standard, which separated the previous models into the “Premium” category. The Standard vehicles lack several features, including more premium interior materials, acoustic-lined glass, and storage.

@teslarati There are some BIG differences between the Tesla Model Y Standard and Tesla Model Y Premium #tesla #teslamodely ♬ Sia – Xeptemper

The Model Y “Premium” trims are now getting several new upgrades, which come after the company launched a seven-seat configuration of the vehicle last night in the North American market for an upcharge of $2,500.

The new Model Y seven-seat configuration did not come with just an additional row of seating; it also came with a slew of other goodies that now come standard and were previously only available on the Model Y Performance, which was launched late last year.

All Black Headliner

The new Tesla Model Y Premium trims will now come standard with a black headliner, something that many owners have been requesting for some time.

The previous grey headliner and trim within the vehicle is now gone; it will be all black on all of the Premium trims from here on out, a welcome change:

Credit: Tesla

Larger and Higher Resolution Center Touchscreen

The center touchscreen in the new Model Y Premium configuration is now larger and has a higher resolution than the previous version.

In last year’s Model Y configurations (apart from the Performance), the center touchscreen was 15.4″. Now, Tesla has decided to go with the 16″ version across all Premium trims, which is a nice step up. It was nice to see this in the Performance, but it is really great to see Tesla include this in the Model Y’s more Premium trim levels.

Tesla Model Y Seven Seater

Tesla launched the latest iteration of the seven-seater for the Model Y on Monday night. Traditionally, the Model Y seats five passengers in total, but there were calls for a more spacious version several years ago.

Tesla released it, but it was extremely tight in the back, basically reserving those back seats for only small people or children.

Credit: Tesla

The new configuration looks to be slightly more spacious in the third row, but not as much space as most would require or want. Instead,

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Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet

Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.

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Credit: Lufthansa

Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers. 

This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.

Starlink in-flight internet

Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release

Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.

Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.

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Free high-speed access

As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.

“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers. 

“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said. 

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