DETROIT — Basic Motors CEO Mary Barra on Tuesday blamed a provider of automation gear for the sluggish ramp-up of GM’s new electrical autos, after Wall Avenue criticized the rollout amid daring predictions the corporate would catch as much as trade chief Tesla.

Shares of GM have been down roughly 4% in morning buying and selling Tuesday regardless of quarterly outcomes that topped year-ago efficiency. Analysts through the name questioned the corporate’s pricing methods, EV profitability steering and skill to hit beforehand introduced targets for the autos.

“We’ve got skilled surprising delays within the ramp as a result of our automation gear provider has been fighting supply points which can be constraining module meeting capability,” Barra stated through the firm’s second-quarter earnings name Tuesday.

GM produced 50,000 EVs by the primary half of this yr for North America, consistent with inside targets however far slower than many anticipated. A majority of that manufacturing was its outgoing Chevrolet Bolt fashions, reasonably than new EVs that make the most of the automaker’s “Ultium” batteries and applied sciences.

Barra, a former plant supervisor and auto engineer, stated she has been “disenchanted” with the unnamed provider and that she has personally been concerned with drawback fixing and updating the automated strains. She stated GM was “stunned” how little progress the provider had made.

The automaker expects vital enhancements in manufacturing by the tip of this yr, Barra stated, with constraints “primarily” being behind the corporate by then, if not sooner.

“We have already seen a whole lot of enchancment from, I am going to say, , the final 4 to 6 weeks; we’ll proceed on that path,” Barra stated.

Regardless of the holdup with the battery modules, which home the autos’ battery cells, Barra stated the corporate nonetheless plans to provide 100,000 autos in North America through the second half of this yr, resulting in 400,000 cumulative autos produced by mid-2024.

“We’re not strolling away from any of the targets we put out,” Barra stated.

These forthcoming EVs will finally embrace a next-generation model of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, GM stated.

In April, GM stated it could finish manufacturing of the mainstream Bolt EV fashions by the tip of this yr to switch manufacturing of the plant the place it is produced to electrical vehicles.

Barra stated plans to construct a next-generation Bolt observe elevated shopper demand for the autos after vital worth cuts final yr that made the autos the least costly EVs within the U.S.

Barra stated GM might be updating the automobile with applied sciences from its new battery and software program packages, recognized respectively as Ultium and Ultifi.

GM declined to launch further particulars concerning the next-generation Bolt, similar to timing, worth and manufacturing location.