DETROIT – Normal Motors expects gross sales of its electrical Chevrolet Bolt fashions can rebound from a high-profile recall after a number of autos caught fireplace to realize file ends in 2022.

“We see file numbers of gross sales and manufacturing for ’22, and we see ’23 being greater than ’22. We’re bullish on each EV and EUV,” Steve Majoros, vice chairman of Chevrolet advertising, instructed media Wednesday.

The automaker restarted manufacturing and shipments of the Bolt EV and a bigger “EUV” model this week. Manufacturing of the autos at a plant in Michigan had largely been down since August, when the automaker recalled each Bolt that had been produced on the manufacturing facility since 2016.

The recall adopted the Detroit automaker figuring out two “uncommon manufacturing defects” within the lithium-ion battery cells of the automobile’s battery pack may trigger a hearth. GM is conscious of 19 automobile fires associated to the issue, a spokesman stated.

The fires and recall have been a serious setback for the automaker when it comes to EV gross sales and its fame, regardless of its battery provider, an LG firm, taking blame for the problems.

GM will try to relaunch the Bolt fashions to Individuals beginning Thursday with a brand new nationwide tv marketing campaign for the automobiles, Majoros stated. Advertisements proven to media don’t point out the recall or fires.

“We expect we now have a variety of curiosity and consciousness for this,” he stated, including the promoting may have a “huge presence” through the opening day video games of Main League Baseball. “I feel it is simply going to proceed with our promoting efforts.”

Majoros, calling it an “arm’s race,” stated the file Bolt gross sales expectations are largely resulting from elevated curiosity general in EVs, not essentially related to file gasoline costs nationally this yr.

The Bolt EV went on sale in December 2016, whereas the Bolt EUV went on sale final yr shortly earlier than all of the autos have been recalled. The Bolt nameplates achieved file gross sales of practically 25,000 items final yr, topping gross sales of the Bolt EV of greater than 23,000 in 2017.