GM makes $300 million investment to produce new Chevrolet EV based on Bolt EV

Phil Dzikiy | Mar 22 2019 - 11:07 am PT

General Motors has announced a $300 million investment to produce a new Chevrolet electric vehicle that will be based off an “advanced version” of the Bolt EV architecture.

The money will go to GM’s Orion Township, Mich. plant, where the Bolt EV is currently made. GM said the investment will bring 400 new jobs to the plant, where the new EV will be produced in addition to the Bolt EV.

There are few other details about the vehicle at this point, other than GM’s statement that it will be “designed and engineered off an advanced version” of Bolt EV’s architecture. The carmaker said more information on the new Chevrolet EV would be released closer to its production, whenever that may be.

The investment is part of an announced total investment of $1.8 billion across GM’s U.S. manufacturing operations. GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said,

“This new Chevrolet electric vehicle is another positive step toward our commitment to an all-electric future. GM will continue to invest in our U.S. operations where we see opportunities for growth.”

GM EVs

GM announced a restructuring last November that would, among other things, prioritize the company’s investment in electric vehicles. Then in January, the company said it would be moving away from hybrids to all-electric vehicles. A GMC executive also said the company had interest in making all-electric GMC SUVs and pickup trucks.

The carmaker also said in January that Cadillac would become its lead electric brand. It promptly followed up that announcement with teaser images of the first all-electric Cadillac, a yet-to-be-named crossover style car which is to be built using GM’s “BEV3” next-generation electric vehicle platform.

GM’s EV tax credit will start to phase out in April where it will drop down to $3750 for two quarters and then $1875 for another 2 quarters. They are a quarter behind Tesla.

Electrek’s take:

Well 400 jobs for this new EV. I guess finally getting serious about building EVs.

All sarcasm aside, this baby step and the language around the PR statement seem to be a rebuke to Donald Trump’s recent condemnation of GM’s shuttering of the Lordstown, Ohio and other plants in the US (and Oshawa, Canada).

It also appears to be a change in strategy for GM who seemed to indicate that the Cadillac BEV would be its next product in the US. The EV based on the Bolt has shown up a few times in GM presentations. Here’s a good look at what we saw 2 years ago which looks like it could be built off the Bolt platform.

Also this Buick concept, likely destined for China, would be a built on a similar platform.

Press release follows…

GM to Invest $300 Million, Add 400 Jobs at Michigan Plant for New Chevrolet Electric Vehicle

Company also announces total new investment commitment of $1.8 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations across six states, adding a total of 700 new jobs

Orion Township, Mich. — General Motors is investing $300 million in its Orion Township, Michigan, assembly plant to produce a new Chevrolet electric vehicle that will bring 400 new jobs to the Orion plant. Today’s announcement is part of GM’s new commitment to invest a total of $1.8 billion in its United States manufacturing operations, creating 700 new jobs and supporting 28,000 jobs across six states.

The new Chevrolet electric vehicle is in addition to the existing Chevrolet Bolt EV, further advancing GM’s commitment to an all-electric future. It will be designed and engineered off an advanced version of the current award-winning Bolt EV architecture. Additional product information and timing for the new Chevrolet EV will be released closer to production.

The 400 additional jobs are incremental to numbers associated with GM’s transformation announcement last fall. The new Chevrolet EV is in addition to the company’s earlier announcement that Cadillac will be the first brand to get vehicles off a future EV platform.

“We are excited to bring these jobs and this investment to the U.S.,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra during an announcement at the plant with employees, elected officials and community leaders. “This new Chevrolet electric vehicle is another positive step toward our commitment to an all-electric future. GM will continue to invest in our U.S. operations where we see opportunities for growth.”

The new electric vehicle had been slated for production outside of the U.S. The decision to bring it to Orion was based on many factors, including:

The Orion plant currently builds the Bolt EV, and the new Chevrolet EV will be based off an advanced version of the same vehicle architecture.
Moving production to a U.S. manufacturing plant supports the rules of origin provisions in the proposed United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement.

In addition to the job growth at the Orion plant, GM has job opportunities at several other U.S. manufacturing plants for virtually all U.S. hourly employees impacted by the recent announcement of unallocated plants. Other GM manufacturing plants adding jobs include Flint, Michigan; Spring Hill, Tennessee; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Arlington, Texas; and Toledo, Ohio.

For the 2,800 impacted U.S. hourly employees at GM’s unallocated plants, GM has confirmed it has 2,700 openings across its U.S. manufacturing plants. To date, 1,100 employees have been placed at other GM plants, with several hundred more in the process of being placed in new jobs. In addition, 1,200 of these employees are retirement eligible.

In Michigan, in addition to the jobs and investment coming to the Orion plant, GM is in the process of adding 1,000 jobs at the Flint Truck Assembly Plant, recently announced new investments at the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant and Romulus Propulsion Plant and this week revealed the all-new Cadillac CT5 to be produced at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant.

Orion Assembly currently builds the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Chevrolet Sonic and the Cruise AV test vehicles. The plant currently employs about 880 hourly and 130 salaried employees. Including the new investment, GM has invested nearly $1 billion at Orion Assembly since 2009.

GM to Invest $1.8 billion in U.S. Operations

With the $300 million investment at Orion for the future Chevrolet EV, GM also announced a total investment of $1.8 billion across its U.S. manufacturing operations, adding 700 new jobs and supporting 28,000 jobs across six states. This investment commitment includes the recently announced investments at its facilities in Spring Hill, Tennessee; Lansing Delta Township, Michigan; and Romulus, Michigan. Additional facilities receiving investments will be announced later. GM has invested more than $22 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations since 2009.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Cadillac, Chevrolet, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, Maven, its personal mobility brand, and Cruise, its autonomous vehicle ride-sharing company, can be found at http://www.gm.com.