Despite the delay, workers on the ground appear to be happy to have extra time to prepare
General Motors is pushing back the start of production for its EV drive unit in Toledo by a further nine months. This decision follows GM‘s earlier postponement of production for the Silverado EV and the GMC Sierra EV. Surprisingly, despite this delay, it seems that workers at the plant are not opposed to it
On Wednesday, GM let employees at the Toledo plant know about the delay that now enables production to begin closer to when the Orion Assembly plant will start its work on the Silverado and Sierra EVs.
The plant used to produce transmissions for combustion vehicles from GM, Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac. It ended that run in April of this year as the factory began preparing to make EV drive units that will ultimately end up in the Sierra EV, Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV, and other models.
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Read: GM Delays Chevy Equinox EV As Well As Flagship Electric Pickups
The delay here seems to suggest that GM may be falling further behind competitors such as Ford, Rivian, and Tesla. In fact, during the third quarter, Chevrolet lagged behind Hyundai and Kia in EV registrations. While this might raise concerns among bow tie enthusiasts, it appears that union workers in Toledo are viewing this move positively
“We pride ourselves on having great launches and the extra time always allows for the best launch possible,” said UAW Local 14 President Tony Totty to local outlet The Blade. His concerns also include retooling the factory to a standard that will allow the plant to succeed in its goals once production does begin in late 2024.
For now, buyers who specifically want an EV from GM will need to be willing to plunk down a bunch of cash for a GMC Hummer, a Cadillac Lyriq, or hope to find a Blazer EV without a big markup on it.