DETROIT — Normal Motors is extending downtime at a Michigan plant that produces its Chevrolet Bolt EV as it really works with battery provider LG Chem to repair manufacturing defects that trigger some vehicles to catch hearth, main to an enormous recall to repair the issue.

The Detroit automaker Thursday mentioned Orion Meeting can be down the weeks of Sept. 13 and Sept. 20. The plant has been shuttered since Aug. 23 because of a battery pack scarcity associated to the recall.

A GM spokesman Thursday confirmed officers proceed to work with LG Chem to rectify the problems and enhance manufacturing of the brand new modules.

The manufacturing issues occurred at LG Battery Answer’s crops in South Korea and Michigan. GM mentioned the problems contain two “uncommon manufacturing defects” — a torn anode tab and folded separator — that when current in the identical battery cell enhance the danger of fireplace.

The automaker has confirmed fires in at the least 12 automobiles. The automaker requested homeowners final month to vary settings on the automobiles to scale back the fireplace danger as a part of the recall. One of the latest fires reportedly occurred final week involving a 2017 Bolt EV that was parked in Sacramento, Calif. 

GM final month expanded an preliminary recall of choose mannequin years to all Bolt EVs, together with a not too long ago launched bigger model of the automotive often called the Bolt EUV. The automaker expects to spend about $1.8 billion to exchange doubtlessly faulty battery modules within the automobiles.

GM mentioned it’s pursuing reimbursement commitments from LG Chem.

The extra downtime at Orion Meeting was included as a part of a manufacturing replace Thursday by GM concerning the continuing scarcity of semiconductor chips. The elements scarcity has brought about automakers to sporadically reduce car manufacturing globally all through this yr.

As a part of the replace, GM confirmed manufacturing of its full-size pickups will return to regular subsequent week following per week of downtime. It additionally prolonged downtimes beforehand introduced downtimes at crops in Michigan, Missouri and Mexico, whereas confirming plans to restart manufacturing at different amenities later this month.

GM expects the elements downside to chop its North American car manufacturing by about 100,000 automobiles throughout the second half of the yr in contrast with the primary six months. The corporate doesn’t launch manufacturing knowledge, however it bought about 1.3 million automobiles throughout the first half of the yr in North America.