General Motors in a statement on Monday announced that it will be pumping in $3 billion to manufacture all-electric trucks and sport utility vehicles in its underused factory in Detroit. The company will also be making self-driving cars in the facility and will eventually create more than 2,000 jobs.
A few days earlier it was reported that General Motors was planning to revive it Hummer brand by launching a fully electric version of the vehicle. Much like most carmakers General Motors too has been attempting to build its own family of electric vehicles and the move is in a bid to speed up production plans.
General Motors' electric push
General Motors on Monday in a statement said that it will invest $2.2 billion in its Detroit plant where it will manufacture electric sport utility vehicles and electric trucks by the end of 2021. In fact, the company had long plans of ramping up production of its electric vehicles by the end of 2021.
If that is to be believed, the company's plans are in place. Following that it will also start production of a self-driving vehicle. The company also said that invest an additional $800 million in equipment for suppliers of auto parts and "other projects related" to its electric vehicle at several facilities.
Of all the vehicles that General Motors plans to produce in the Detroit facility, the first will be electric truck. The number one US carmaker is also planning to revive its defunct Hummer. However, plans are to launch an all-electric version of the military-style vehicle. It is likely that the fully electric Hummer too will be produced at this facility.
Old factory, new look
In 2018, General Motors had announced that it was planning to close the Detroit-Hamtramck factory along with three other facilities in the United States. However, a few months back, the company promised to reopen the Detroit-Hamtramck factory later to build electric vehicles following its negotiations with United Auto Workers union.
General Motors has been aggressively moving ahead with its plans of building a family of electric vehicles. Understandably, with many other carmakers already making substantial progress in this drive towards an all-electric future, General Motors doesn't want to delay further. During the time of announcement of its plans of closing the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, the plant had 1,500 salaried and hourly employees.
The factory right now employs 900 workers who work on a single shift and make the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala. However, after today's announcement, the company will shut down the facility in February to refurbish the place before its goes ahead with the production of its electric trucks and SUVs.
