Charting a new course in the landscape of passenger vehicles, American automobile giant General Motors (GM) is going to retire its iconic Chey Malibu to embark on an electrifying journey with the next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EUV.

The Chevy Malibu, which has been an iconic symbol of the brand’s commitment to excellence, has been part of the automobile giant’s portfolio since the year of 1964. However, consumers’ shift towards electric SUVs and crossovers, the automaker has decided to herald a new era of sustainable mobility. The stage is set for the updated Ultium-based Chevrolet Bolt, which will debut sometime in 2025. It will be built at the old Chey Malibu production plant in Kansas City.

Confirming the decision, the automaker has revealed that the Fairfax Assembly plant, which was originally opened in the year of 1987 to produce the Pontiac Grand Prix, will soon be temporarily closed for upgrades. The upgraded plant is expected to resume production towards the end of 2025, when production of the EUV-only Bolt as well as gas-powered Cadillac XT4 will commence.

Kevin Kelly, a spokesperson for GM, said in a statement that the Cadillac crossover production, which is already underway at the Kansas facility, will also be temporarily halted. The Fairfax Assembly plant’s duality following the completion of the upgrades would give the company more flexibility.

Speaking on the topic, Kelly added, “To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025.”

Before the automaker discontinued the previous-generation Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV last year, both of these vehicles were being produced at the automaker’s Detroit-based Orion assembly plant. Even after the discontinuation of these vehicles, inventory vehicles kept topping the company’s electric car sales charts for a notably long time before being surpassed by newer models.

It may be noted here that Chevy’s next-generation entry-level EV will be produced and offered only as a crossover, with the latest Ultium battery and drive motor technology integrated in it.

The production pause at the Fairfax Assembly production plant in Kansas City will also affect its employs. Currently, the plant has approx. 2,200 employees, and the spokesperson has admitted that a part of the workforce will face layoffs during the scheduled production pause next year.