GM has extended the closure of its Orion assembly plant in Michigan, US, until October 18 because of a battery supply problem. 

The plant makes the Chevrolet Bolt EV, but GM has stopped the assembly line following a spate of fires caused by a defect in the lithium batteries powering the car.

The plant has been closed since August 23 but was due to open next Monday (September 27). However, it will take longer for GM to work with its battery supplier LG Chem to solve the problem. So far, the defect has led to 12 vehicle fires, and there is currently a global recall on all 141,000 Bolt vehicles sold since production began in 2016.

The carmaker said in a statement it was extending the shutdown by three weeks to continue to work with LG Chem to update manufacturing processes and continue to evaluate additional production schedule adjustments.