Yahoo Autos GM Delays EV Truck Production at Orion Assembly Plant Until 2025
General Motors has announced that it will delay electric pickup truck production at the Orion Assembly plant until late 2025. Originally EV truck production was to begin in late 2024. However, GM has decided to push those plans back by a year to “better manage capital investment,” as reported by The Detroit News.
GM believes that the delay will allow them time to make some engineering changes that will lead to more profitable electric trucks. "In addition, we have identified engineering improvements that we will implement to increase the profitability of our products," GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly said in a statement. Kelly went on to say that the delay is not related to the ongoing UAW strike that is now in week number four.
GM currently builds the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV at Orion. However, GM plans to end production of that model at the end of this year. A second-generation of the popular Bolt models is expected but a specific timeframe for production has not yet been announced. In the meantime, the workers at Orion will be allowed to transfer to other facilities in Michigan once Bolt production ends.
While production at Orion has been delayed, GM is still building EV trucks at their Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant. The Silverado EV, Hummer EV Pickup, and Hummer EV SUV are currently being produced a Factory Zero. The GMC Sierra EV will be built there beginning next year. Work at Factory Zero has been increasing and a second production shift is expected to be added soon.
Despite the year-long delay at Orion, GM says there are no plans to adjust their previously announced EV production targets. That includes total EV production of 400,000 vehicles in North America from 2022 through mid-2024. GM aims to sell only zero-emission vehicles to customers by the year 2035. But as the recently announced Orion news shows us, plans can change.
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