- GM is reportedly backtracking in its plan to turn its Orion plant into an EV-only manufacturing hub.
- Reports indicate that combustion and hybrid vehicles may be built alongside EVs at Orion.
- GM could potentially build rumored plug-in hybrid pickups at the plant.
General Motors announced it was investing $4 billion to expand its Orion assembly plant in suburban Detroit and retool it for electric vehicle production, but that may not happen as initially announced, Automotive News reported.
The reasons for the change of plan, which hasn’t been officially confirmed, could include falling EV demand, especially for electric pickups, combined with the Trump administration’s war on EVs and the instability it has induced in the automotive segment.
The plan was for the electric Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups to start rolling off the Orion assembly in mid-2026, after two consecutive delays, which pushed the date back by around two years. When Automotive News contacted GM for the story, spokesperson Kevin Kelly said: “We’re not going to engage in speculation. The timing remains consistent with what we have previously said, fall 2026.”
The source report cites unnamed sources saying that while GM still officially stands by its decision to only build electric trucks at Orion, it is considering building combustion and hybrid models alongside EVs. This plant previously produced the Chevrolet Bolt EV, whose next-generation model will be built at the Fairfax plant in Kansas instead.
According to a report published by Autoweek in February 2024, GM is working on a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the GMC Sierra and the Chevy Silverado. The manufacturer has not mentioned having such models in the pipeline, but it would make sense to start offering them as direct rivals to upcoming extended-range pickups like the Scout Terra or the Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
GM has another factory in Michigan making electric pickups, the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, now known as Factory Zero. It currently assembles the GMC Hummer EV, GMC Sierra EV, Chevy Silverado EV and the Cadillac Escalade IQ. It was retooled for EV production in 2021, and it hasn’t produced a combustion car since.
Another reason why GM may be backtracking on its EV-only plan at Orion may have something to do with the company pulling out of a battery manufacturing joint venture deal with LG Energy. GM has backed out of the agreement, selling its share to LG and announcing that it would recover the $1 billion it’s already invested through the sale of EV battery cells (of which it manufactures a lot) to LG. It looks like GM's initial EV plans aren't panning out, but the company certainly isn't alone there.
