GM to Invest $300M, Add 400 Jobs at Orion Assembly for New Chevrolet EV

General Motors Co. in Detroit announced today that it is investing $300 million in, and adding 400 jobs at, its Orion Township assembly plant to build a new Chevrolet electric vehicle, previously slated for production outside of the U.S.
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GM Orion Assembly
GM plans to invest $300 million in its Orion Township assembly plant to build a new Chevrolet electric vehicle. // Photo courtesy of General Motors Co.

General Motors Co. in Detroit announced today that it is investing $300 million in, and adding 400 jobs at, its Orion Township assembly plant to build a new Chevrolet electric vehicle, previously slated for production outside of the U.S.

The new Chevy EV is in addition to production of the existing Chevrolet Bolt EV, taking the automaker one step closer to its goal of an all-electric future. The new vehicle will be designed and engineered from an advanced version of the current Bolt EV architecture. Additional product information and timing for the new vehicle will be released closer to production, GM says.

“We are excited to bring these jobs and this investment to the U.S.,” says, Marry Barra, chairman and CEO of GM. “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 says it decided to bring the new Chevy EV production to the U.S. because it supports the rules of origin provisions in the proposed United States, Mexico, and Canada Agreement and to create job opportunities for GM workers impacted by the recent announcement of unallocated plants.

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

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.

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.

In addition to the job growth at the Orion plant, GM says it has job opportunities at several other U.S. manufacturing plants for virtually all U.S. hourly employees idled by plant shutdowns. Other GM manufacturing plants adding jobs include Flint; Spring Hill, Tenn.; Bowling Green, Ky.; Arlington, Tex.; and Toledo, Ohio. To date, 1,100 of the 2,800 employees who lost jobs 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.

With the $300 million investment at Orion, 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, Tenn.; Lansing Delta Township; and Romulus. Additional facilities receiving investments will be announced later. GM says it has invested more than $22 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations since 2009.