GM announces $2 billion for electric vehicle factory in Tennessee, will build Cadillac LYRIQ and more

GM announced today that it is investing $2 billion to produce electric vehicles at its factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

The updated factory will produce the Cadillac LYRIQ electric SUV, among other electric vehicles.

Only days after announcing Factory ZERO, GM’s new electric vehicle only factory built out of the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, GM is now announcing a new investment in electric vehicle production.

Today, GM announced the transition of its its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant:

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) announced today that its Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant will begin the transition to become the company’s third vehicle manufacturing site to produce electric vehicles, joining Factory ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan, and Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Michigan. In addition, the company is confirming investments in five Michigan plants, including the Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Flint Assembly for future crossover and full-size pickup production.

However, unlike Factory Zero, GM said that Spring Hill will produce both EVs and gasoline-powered vehicles since the Cadillac XT6 and XT5 will continue to be assembled at the plant.

The Cadillac LYRIQ electric SUV is going to be the first all-electric vehicle produced at the newly updated factory.

GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra commented on the announcement:

We are committed to investing in the US, our employees and our communities. These investments underscore the success of our vehicles today, and our vision of an all-electric future.

Earlier this year, GM unveiled the Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV, the first electric vehicle using GM’s Ultium platform.

The automaker announced 300 miles of range and 150 kW fast charging, and everything is packaged into a design that has been well-received.

We reported yesterday that the electric SUV is also going to be equipped with a new advanced augmented reality HUD.

The Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV is expected to launch in 2022 and start at less than $60,000.

Electrek’s Take

That’s we like to see: new electric vehicle production capacity.

I would have preferred to see a full transition to only produce electric vehicle, but this is still a massive investment that should result in volume EV production.

I am liking what I know so far about the Lyriq, but I don’t know how competitive it is going to be against other EVs in the segment when it reaches the market in 2022.

What do you thinK? Let us know in the comment section below.