Built on the updated Chevy Bolt platform.
General Motors is building its next all-electric car at its Orion plant. Mary Barra, the company’s chairman and CEO, made the announcement at the Michigan plant. This is the same facility that produces the battery-powered Chevy Bort, and ( at the moment, at most), the Chevy Spark. It houses the Cruise Automation program, which upgrades vehicles with autonomous driving components.
This decision is a departure from the original production plan that the vehicle would be built outside the U.S. The new investment of $300 million in Orion Township’s factory will allow for an increase in employee headcount to 400.
According to the automaker, the new vehicle will sport the Chevrolet badge. It will also be built on an upgraded version of the platform that supports the Bolt. Although the automaker does not give any details, it is widely believed that the new vehicle will take the form of a compact crossover.
Last year, the Chevrolet Bolt was second in all-electric sales in the United States. It sold 18,019 units. However, it was overshadowed in 2018 by the Tesla Model 3 which saw 139.782 units delivered. The California-based company has recently begun producing a $35,000 version. This gap will only grow. The Bolt’s MSRP was lowered to $36,620 in 2019 by the California company.
Future electric vehicles by GM include a three row Cadillac cross-country. It is also considering a full-size, battery-powered pickup truck as well as SUVs.
The automaker announced that in addition to the $300 million investment for Orion’s plant, it had also announced a $1.5 billion additional investment towards U.S. manufacturing operations. For more information, see the press release below.