By Jim Newell

Review Editor

General Motors Co. announced on Tuesday that the auto manufacturer will invest more that $7 billion in four Michigan manufacturing sites, including $4 billion in the GM Orion plant.

Orion Assembly will become the second U.S. plant building Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra and GM will invest $4 billion to convert the plant for the production of full-size EV pickups.

The investment is part of GM’s effort to lead in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. By the end of 2025, GM wants to have more than 1 million units of electric vehicle capacity in North America, according to the company.

“Today we are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM’s EV leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the U.S., and our North American EV production capacity,” said Mary Barra, GM Chair and CEO. “We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including GMC HUMMER EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Our plan creates the broadest EV portfolio of any automaker and further solidifies our path toward U.S. EV leadership by mid-decade.”

The investment is expected to create 4,000 new jobs and retain 1,000 other jobs and significantly increasing battery cell and electric truck manufacturing capacity, GM stated.

In addition to the conversion at Orion Assembly, GM will construct a new Ultium Cells battery cell plant in Lansing.

“GM’s $7 billion investment in Michigan—the largest in their history—will create and retain 5,000 good-paying jobs and enable us to build on our legacy as the place that put the world on wheels,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “When it comes to investing in Michigan, GM and I have the same philosophy: ‘Everybody In.’ Michigan’s future is bright, and I will continue working with anyone to make transformational investments in our economy, create good-paying jobs, and empower working families.”

GM is also investing in its two Lansing-area vehicle assembly plants for near-term product enhancements.

“The Orion and Ultium Cells Lansing investments announced today will support an increase in total full-size electric truck production capacity to 600,000 trucks when both Factory ZERO and Orion facilities are fully ramped,” a GM press release stated.

Specific points about the investment in the Orion Assembly plant at 4555 Giddings Road:

• Converting the Orion Assembly plant to produce electric trucks using the GM-developed Ultium Platform will give the company the flexibility to build vehicles for every customer and segment.

• This investment is expected to create more than 2,350 new jobs at Orion and retain approximately 1,000 current jobs when the plant is fully operational.

• GM estimates the new jobs at Orion will be filled by a combination of GM transferees and new hires. Electric truck production, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra, will begin at Orion in 2024.

• The Orion investment will drive significant facility and capacity expansion at the site, including new body and paint shops and new general assembly and battery pack assembly areas. Production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV will continue during the plant’s conversion. Site work begins immediately, according to GM.

“We’re thrilled that the partnership with General Motors, Michigan, Oakland County and Orion Township is still thriving and geared toward the environmentally sustainable vehicles of the future,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “This investment reinforces the confidence General Motors has in the Orion plant, the abundance of a skilled workforce in southeast Michigan and the appeal of Oakland County as an attractive place to locate advanced technology manufacturing.”

“Through site conversion and new facilities, GM is uniquely positioned to stay ahead of the growing demand for electric vehicles while balancing the need to aggressively compete to win in today’s market with strong products,” GM stated.

In addition to the EV-related investments in Michigan, GM is investing more than $510 million in its two Lansing-area vehicle assembly plants to upgrade their production capabilities for near-term products:

• Lansing Delta Township Assembly — Investment is for production of the next-generation Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave.

• Lansing Grand River Assembly — Investment is for plant upgrades.

“These important investments would not have been possible without the strong support from the Governor, the Michigan Legislature, Orion Township, the City of Lansing, Delta Township as well as our collaboration with the UAW and LG Energy Solution,” added Barra. “These investments also create opportunities in Michigan for us to bring our employees along on our transition to an all-electric future.”