DETROIT -- General Motors will idle the Michigan assembly plant that builds the Chevrolet Volt for more than a month to curb rising inventories of the plug-in hybrid.

GM informed 1,300 workers at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan on Thursday that it will shut down production for five weeks, starting the week of March 19.

GM plans to resume production on April 23, spokesman Chris Lee said.

"We need to maintain the right inventory levels and continue to meet demand," Lee said.

At the end of February, GM's Volt inventory stood at 6,300 units, enough to last 154 days at current sales rates.

Volt sales rebounded in February to 1,023 units. January's sales of 603 units marked a five-month low following a federal investigation into battery fires in the Volt.

(SOURCE)