GM lifts stop-sale on Blazer EV and lowers the price

General Motors is lifting the stop-sale on its Chevrolet Blazer EV and lowering the price of the vehicle.

GM ordered the stop-sale of the Blazer EV on Dec. 22 as engineers started working to resolve owner-reported software problems that included intermittent issues with in-vehicle screens and problems using DC fast charging.

In a statement Friday, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said, "We have made significant software updates that will improve features and functionality to deliver on the high expectations of our customers. We’re confident these improvements will address concerns heard from some early owners and as promised, we’re carrying learnings over to other products in GM’s lineup." 

GM said the enhancements it made include customizable multicolor ambient lighting and revised Driver Information Center graphics with battery percentage display. The automaker did not offer more specifics.

The software quality issues were not safety-related and GM did not issue a recall. GM also continued to build the EVs at its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM will update those EVs with appropriate software before they are shipped, the automaker said. Current owners will be notified to bring their Blazer EVs to Chevrolet dealers once the software update is available.

GM also said the 2024 Blazer EV will now be eligible for the full federal $7,500 consumer tax credit. The vehicle did not qualify for the full credit after the U.S. Treasury’s updated guidelines went into effect at the beginning of the year. That's because the new rules prevent allowing the credit on vehicles made with components that come from companies tied to the governments of China, Iran, North Korea or Russia, as the Detroit Free Press reported. But GM told the Free Press in January that it would offer $7,500 off the price for those EVs that did not qualify for the tax credit.

Now, GM said it is able to source parts for the Blazer EV to make it eligible again. But the previously announced $7,500 GM incentive remains for already-built, nonqualifying Blazer EVs for eligible customers.

“We are excited to have the Chevrolet Blazer EV available again, this time with a compelling price, enhanced features and functionality and qualifying for the full consumer tax credit,” said Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bell in a statement.

GM is lowering the entry prices on the three trim levels by as much as $6,520.

• The LT all-wheel drive Blazer EV had an original starting price of $56,715, it now starts at $50,195. After the $7,500 tax credit, the price would be $42,695.
• The next trim level is the RS all-wheel drive. It moves from the original starting price of $60,215 to a starting price of $54,595. After the tax credit it would be $47,095.
• The RS rear-wheel drive trim level drops from an original starting price of $61,790 to $56,170. After the tax credit it would be $48,670.

GM has said the Blazer EV’s entry-level trim, the LT front-wheel drive, will start under $50,000 and it will announce the final pricing on it, as well as the remaining models, closer to their sale date later this year. 

More:The impact of GM's return-to-office policy for businesses inside Detroit's landmark

More:Here is when to expect GM's $50,000 buyout program for union workers to launch

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.