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GM Plans Hybrid SUVs At Lansing, Michigan Plant With Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia
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GM will produce hybrid Traverse, Enclave, and Acadia at Lansing Delta Township. Invests about $750 million to build hybrids at the Lansing plant.
GM backs hybrids in Michigan
General Motors plans to introduce hybrid versions of its three-row SUV models, including the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, and GMC Acadia, at its Lansing, Michigan plant, according to sources familiar with the matter. GM said it intends to invest in its Lansing Delta Township assembly plant to prepare it for hybrid-vehicle production, while the company did not provide details on dates or models.
GM CEO Mary Barra told analysts during the company’s results presentation that it “It will not require additional capital or engineering costs,” and she said GM would disclose more details as the launch approached. GM’s shift comes as the company’s U.S. market share fell to 16.6% in the first nine months of the year, from 17.4% in the same period a year earlier, while Toyota and Honda gained ground.
Barra frames cost and timing
Mary Barra said GM would have hybrid vehicles in multiple segments, and she told analysts that the plan “It will not require additional capital or engineering costs.” GM also said it would share specific details on its hybrid vehicle production plans closer to launch, while the company declined to provide specifics on timing and models to be made at the Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant.
Mike Trevorrow said GM was “building on what this team does well today while preparing for what customers will need in the years ahead,” linking the investment to Lansing’s workforce and facilities. AutoForecast Solutions Vice President Sam Fiorani predicted GM’s first mainstream hybrid offering would be the Chevy Equinox in 2028, with full-size pickup trucks in 2029 and midsize crossovers such as the Traverse in 2030.
DOE grant and regional scale
GM said it is working with the U.S. Department of Energy to restructure a previously awarded Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant and direct those funds to future hybrid production at the Lansing factory.
TechCrunch reported that GM was awarded $500 million under the Biden administration to support converting a different factory in Lansing to produce electric vehicles, including hybrid, battery-electric, plug-in electric hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, and that those funds were never released, according to GM.
Just Auto said GM and the U.S. Department of Energy are restructuring the Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant, with the money now directed to Lansing Delta Township for future hybrid production.
Just Auto also reported that GM’s investments will exceed $2bn over the next several years in the Lansing region, including the $1.25bn GM announced earlier to get Lansing Grand River Assembly, Michigan, ready for future vehicle production.