GM to end production of Chevy Malibu as it shifts to EVs

A 2016 Chevrolet Malibu is seen at the Washington Auto Show in Washington January 29, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File photo

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -General Motors said Wednesday it will end production of its gasoline-powered Chevrolet Malibu car later this year in order to produce new electric vehicles.

GM has sold more than 10 million Malibus since 1964 worldwide and will end production in November. The Detroit automaker is investing $390 million at its Kansas assembly plant to build next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EVs. GM halted production of the prior generation Bolt in December.

File photo: Chevrolet Malibu cars turn a corner on the assembly line at GM’s Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas May 4, 2015. REUTERS/Dave Kaup/File photo

GM has been shifting away from cars in favor of building more crossover and sport utility vehicles in recent years. The Malibu is the last remaining Chevrolet car offered in the United States besides the Corvette. GM ended production of the Chevrolet Camaro late last year.

FILE PHOTO: The GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo

GM said separately Wednesday it will pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025 in Kansas, resulting in layoffs of production employees until production resumes in late 2025 for both the Bolt EV and XT4 on the same assembly line.

Sales of the Malibu were down 12.5% in the first three months of the year but up 13% to 130,000 in 2023.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Mark Potter)