General Motors’s Lansing, Mich., Grand River Assembly plant is one of 11 manufacturing locations selected to share a total of $2 billion in Dept. of Energy funds for retooling, retrofitting, and retraining in support of electric vehicle manufacturing projects.
The automaker did not detail any plans for adding EV production at Lansing, but explained that it will continue to produce the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans, and information about future product lines will be provided “down the road.”
Other manufacturers selected for the DOE’s Domestic Manufacturing Auto Conversion Grants program include American Autoparts Inc., Blue Bird Body Co., Fiat-Chrysler Automotive, Harley Davidson inc., Volvo Technology of America, and ZF North America. The operations receiving the funds are in Georgia, Indiana (2 plants), Illinois, Maryland, Michigan (2), Pennsylvania (2), and Virginia.
According to the Dept. of Energy, the selection for award negotiations is not a commitment of funding. The applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel the negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason.
The Domestic Manufacturing Auto Conversion Grants program is structured to support job creation and retention, and the selected businesses must demonstrate they are supporting unionized workers. The Department noted that the funds it is assigning will support production of parts for electric motorcycles and school buses, hybrid powertrains, heavy-duty commercial truck batteries, and electric SUVs.
GM emphasized that the DOE funds will be added to more than $12 billion the automaker has pledged since 2020 to grow its North American EV manufacturing base and supply chain. The Lansing Grand River Assembly plant will be added to a long list of GM operations preparing for EV manufacturing.
“GM’s investment and this Department of Energy grant underscore our commitment to U.S. leadership in manufacturing and innovation, making sure we’re competitive at home and abroad,” stated Camilo Ballesty, GM vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations.
