GM to retool Lansing Grand River plant to electric vehicle facility

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — In a $500 million investment, General Motors will convert its Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant to an electric vehicle production facility.

According to the White House, the announcement is part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda. “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $1.7 billion to support the conversion of 11 shuttered or at-risk auto manufacturing and assembly facilities across eight states—Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia—to manufacture electric vehicles and their supply chain,” the administrations said in a news release.

“There is nothing harder to a manufacturing community than to lose jobs to foreign competition
and a changing industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. “Even as our competitors invest heavily in electric vehicles, these grants ensure that our automotive industry stays competitive—and does it in the communities and with the workforce that have supported the auto industry for generations.”

This announcement comes seven months after the company laid off 369 workers from both Lansing area plants, attributing them to the end of Camaro production in Lansing.

The Grand River Assembly Plant will undergo significant refurbishment and retooling, according to the administration, allowing the plant to begin producing electric vehicles. GM will also consider the facility for future electric vehicle programs.

GM estimates that the transition will retain at least 650 jobs and create at least 50 new jobs.

The company also says that, since the hourly workers at the assembly plant are fully unionized with United Auto Workers, it will be collaborating with the union to help train its workers with the skills needed to manufacture electric vehicles.

This investment is part of a $1.7 billion funding package from the U.S. Department of Energy intended to assist with converting 11 closed or at-risk auto manufacturing and assembly plants from combustion vehicle plants to electric vehicle plants.

Following the announcement, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor released the following statement:

As Mayor, my focus is on growth and transformational change for Lansing, and I am so excited for the future of our city with this announcement,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said in a statement. “Lansing has been a leader in automotive production for over 120 years, and I am proud that the Biden Administration and Secretary Granholm recognized that through this important investment.
The nation knows that Lansing has the best UAW workers making cars, and that we are the best place for automotive manufacturing. And now Lansing will lead the nation in electric vehicle technology – with battery production at Ultium ($2.7 billion investment), EV production at LGR ($500 million investment), and boosting EV charging infrastructure through a USDOT grant ($8 million).
I’m grateful to GM for continuing to recognize the incredible talent of our UAW workers and the opportunities here in Lansing. And I am thankful to President Biden and Secretary Granholm for their commitment to Lansing workers and our entire community. By all of us coming together, we ensured this development would happen here and provide these jobs and investments. Lansing will continue to put the world on wheels, now and for decades into the future.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor

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