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GM announces $7 billion Michigan factory investment, most going to EVs

GM announced a $7 billion investment in Michigan manufacturing, much of which is earmarked for EV production. Four sites are included, but the key elements are a new battery cell plant in Lansing and the conversion of GM's existing Orion Township facility to expand production of the forthcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV and its GMC Sierra sibling.  GM says it is the largest investment announcement in company history and that it will create 4,000 new jobs. It also says 1,000 jobs will be retained. "We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV," said GM CEO Mary Barra.  GM says the Orion expansion and new battery plant will support an increase in full-size electric truck production capacity to 600,000 units. This is in addition to the Factory ZERO facility in Detroit that will also be constructing the electric Silverado and Sierra.  The Orion Township factory current builds the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, and will continue to do so during the plant's conversion. GM did not indicate what will happen with the Bolts once that conversion is complete or whether all will continue to be built at Orion. They do not use the Ultium vehicle architecture. GM will build other EV models at three other factories that are under construction or being converted. They are located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Ingersoll, Ontario, and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM says that it will have the ability to produce 1 million electric vehicles by 2025. The Ultium Cells Lansing facility is a $2.6 billion joint investment by GM and LG Energy Solution. GM says it alone will create 1,700 jobs once fully operational by late 2024. It will join two other GM Ultium Cells battery factories currently under construction in the United States, one in Ohio and the other in Tennessee.  Not all of the $7 billion investment will be for EVs. It also announced $510 million of the total will go toward upgrading the Lansing Delta Township Assembly to produce the next-generation Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Money will also go to upgrading Lansing Grand River Assembly.

Six-week production shutdown planned for 2016 Chevy Volt

It's no surprise that GM is winding down production of the first-gen Chevy Volt as it prepares to start building the second-gen for a launch in the second half of this year, but for now, things are proceeding as planned, according to Chevrolet spokesperson Michelle Malcho. Malcho told AutoblogGreen that GM "is still making first generation Volt" and that there has been no announcement about when that will change. The only details she would divulge is that, "It will be this summer." "Halting Chevrolet Volt production in anticipation of the all-new 2016 model year is a smart move for GM," Akshay Anand, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, said in a statement. "[The move] allows for less inventory and incentives on the outgoing model. Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle sales have been declining for some time now, with gas prices well below the summer prices of 2014." Volt production will cease in the weeks before the traditional two-week auto plant shutdown over the July 4 holiday. A high inventory of Volts is a factor in the production cuts, but not the only one, Malcho said. The plant construction, engineering changes and pre-production plans for the new Volt and CT6 all were part of the decision, she said. Nationwide, there is about a 200-day supply of Volts on dealer lots (roughly 100 days in California, the car's biggest market), according to the Detroit Free Press, which says there will be a six-week retooling period (twice as long as normal, but other sources say the shutdown will be four weeks long) at GM's Hamtramck plant this summer to get ready for the second-gen model. The 2016 Volt will get an increase in all-electric range to 50 miles and will then get 41 miles per gallon when the battery runs out. It also has a fifth seat that straddles the battery tunnel and a larger li-ion battery. Related Video: The AP contributed to this report. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevy Volt View 16 Photos News Source: GM, Detroit Free Press Green Plants/Manufacturing Chevrolet Electric Hybrid

Big discounts on 2015 Chevy Volt before 2016 model arrives

Having not driven it yet, this writer thinks the 2016 Chevrolet Volt appears to be an excellent update to country's flagship hybrid. The current car, though, still has plenty to offer and can hold its Bowtie high. If you'd rather save money on a 2015 than have the latest technology, a Cars Direct rundown of incentives and lease deals on a 2015 Volt shows that fruit is ready to be plucked. With plenty of the current model year on dealer lots, Chevy has more than doubled the rebate to $2,500, and offers 2.9-percent financing for 48 months. If you want to lease, the signing payment is now only $500, down from $1,499. You can get that down to zero dollars if you're trading in a competitor. Payments for 39 months are reduced $50, to $249. So it's officially open season for hardcore Volt haggling. Admittedly, though, it will probably only get better as we get close to the 2016s rolling into dealerships, so you can start lining up a deal now but know your position will only strengthen as the weeks pass. Related Video: