General Motors has announced it will invest $245 million and add 300 new jobs at its Orion Assembly plant to support the launch of what the company says is an ‘all-new vehicle program unlike any in the plant's 32-year history.’
A GM spokesperson tells NGT News the company will not disclose any further information about the new vehicle at this time, including its name or whether it will be an alternative fuel model; however, he does say the company expects to begin production of the vehicle within the next three to four years.
Located in Lake Orion, Mich., the plant currently produces the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano. This latest investment comes just seven months after a separate announcement to invest $160 million in building the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV at the Orion plant. The GM spokesperson says the Bolt EV, designed to offer more than 200 miles of range on a single charge and with a target price of around $30,000, is slated for production within the next two to three years.
In the company's Monday announcement, Cathy Clegg, GM North America vice president of manufacturing and labor relations, says, “Orion Assembly is a breeding ground for manufacturing innovation. It serves as a model for how to engage the entire workforce at all levels to achieve success. The plant is up to the challenge of building this brand-new product, something it's never seen before.”
According to GM, investment in Orion totals $962 million since the UAW and GM worked together to reopen the previously idled plant in 2010.
GM says this latest announcement is a part of the $5.4 billion the automaker has announced it will invest in U.S. manufacturing over the next three years. Approximately $3.1 billion of the $5.4 billion has been identified, leaving $2.3 billion to be announced by year's end, adds GM.
