Breaking: General Motors To Idle Lordstown, Detroit-Hamtramck Plants *Updated*
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This story has been updated with official statements from General Motors, released on Monday.
General Motors will idle the Lordstown, Ohio, and Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan, the automaker made official on Monday.
The Lordstown, Detroit-Hamtramck, and Oshawa, Ontario, plants will not be allocated any new product for 2019. GM did not name models, but it’s widely expected the Chevrolet Cruze, Volt, Impala, Buick LaCrosse, and Cadillac CT6 will die off with the idled plants. It’s been reported back in summer of 2017 that General Motors was planning on killing off these passenger cars, along with the Chevrolet Sonic and Cadillac XTS.
Lordstown has long been a prime candidate for closure as it builds a single vehicle only for the U.S. market: the Chevrolet Cruze sedan. The Cruze sedan and hatchback are also built in Mexico. The Mexican plant exports the Cruze hatchback to the U.S. and Canada, while the Mexico-made sedan is also exported to Canada.
All of the cars affected by the idled plant decisions were previously rumored to be on the corporate chopping block. However, GM did not confirm which nameplates will live on. Instead, it said it will “transform” its product development and allocate even greater resources to electric and self-driving vehicles. The automaker added 75 percent of its future vehicles will come from just five vehicle architectures by early next decade.
The plants will be idled until their futures are addressed when the United Auto Workers union and GM sit down next year to hash out a new agreement. The current union agreement expires next September. Two additional international plants will be closed next year as well, GM confirmed in its announcement. The automaker also plans to lay off 25 percent of its salaried workforce. All of its efforts will allegedly help the automaker save $6 billion by 2020.
Stay tuned as we learn more information.
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the older people who bought sedans are dieing off and the new younger buyers want UVs and trucks
After massive investments into the CT6, I’m not too convinced that this model will die off quite easily. More than likely, it could move to Lansing with a quick retooling for the CT6 to continue.
And, I’m not much of a CUV or truck buyer and prefer a sedan. If the CT6 does die off for good, it would be more and more difficult to defend Cadillac and take interest in the brand.
So, GM walks away from passenger cars, just like FoMoCo. What a damned shame. I live in Ohio, and own a 2017 Cruze LT sedan. I also owned a 2013 Cruze, previously. Both Lordstown built. Great small cars. Excellently efficient. I average 40+ MPG per tankful of fuel. I wanted and needed a small, yet comfortable and roomy and efficient sedan for my job. I drive 30K+ miles per year. The Cruze is efficient and affordable. CUVs and SUVs generally are not. Leasing makes CUVs, SUVs and trucks attainable for those that don’t drive as much. But, try purchasing a moderately priced CUV, SUV, or truck. Big payments! For guys like me that need to purchase, because of driving so many miles per year, leasing is not an option. GM and Ford are completely surrendering the passenger car business to the Asian brands. Kia, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota and Nissan don’t seem to be shying away from these segments, despite market adjustments to CUVs/SUVs. When gasoline prices eventually and inevitably rise, GM and Ford will be caught with their pants down, due to shortsightedness. And even more Americans will sadly be driving foreign nameplates.
Something just isn’t right here.
GM spent many millions in developing, manufacturing, marketing, and now redesigning the CT6 and its engine. There is no way in hell they would completely get rid of it. I could see if they stopped marketing it, or moved it to another plant, or even shuttered production; but to completely stop would be asinine.
Same deal goes for the Volt ^.
GM would be absolutely stupid to cut the Cruze as well. With soon no sales from Ford, GM will surely pick up a few. What about the recent redesign? Redesigned Sonic? XTS?
WHY GM WHY?!?!?!?!
I don’t know much but somebody’s watching the Genesis sponsored ESPN NFL ads. I own a ’13 XTS and (wife’s) ’15 Impala and was thinking of moving to CT6 when time to trade the XTS.
GM is Doomed Bankruptcy #2 soon to follow. Exec’s don’t care cause they will still walk away with there millions…
GM Stop biting the hand that feeds you.
This is the new gm, no more building cars people dont buy. No more bailouts. People want trucks and suvs. so thats what gm has to build. Ford is doing it. Chrysler too.
Layoffs and plant closures are a necessary evil gm has to do in order to avoid past mistakes.
Autoblog listed GM’s best selling vehicles in the US so far this year. They are:
1. Chevrolet Silverado
2. Chevrolet Equinox
3. GMC Sierra
4. Chevrolet Cruz
5. Chevrolet Malibu
6. Chevrolet Traverse
7. Chevrolet Colorado
8. GMC Terrain
9. Chevrolet Tahoe
10. Buick Encore
11. Chevrolet Trax
12. GMC Acadia
13. GMC Yukon
14. Cadllac XT5
15. Chevrolet Express
16. Chevrolet Impala
17. Chevrolet Suburban
18. Chevrolet Camaro
19. Buick Enclave
20. Cadillac Escalade
21. GMC Canyon
22. Buick Envision
23. Chevrolet Sonic
24. Chevrolet Spark
25. GMC Savannah
26. Chevrolet Corvette
27. Buick LaCrosse
28. Chevrolet Volt
29. Cadillac XTS
30. Chevrolet Bolt
31. Buick Regal
32. Cadillac ATS
33. Cadillac CTS
34. Cadillac CT6
35. Buick Cascada
36. Cadillac XT4
A few thoughts: A) Mary Barra says that Cruz doesn’t sell so it must be eliminated and the plant closed but it’s GM’s best selling car, and fourth best selling product overall. It is the product that brings young buyers into the fold. B) GM says they want to focus on electrification in the future but their fully electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt is in 30th place sales-wise, and their electric-hybrid Volt is in 28th place. Does it make sense to eliminate your fourth best selling car to chase a market for which there seems to be no demand? C) Ms. Barra also says they want to focus on autonomous cars but currently they only build one autonomous car, the Cadillac CT6 with SuperCruise, which Ms. Barra is also eliminating.
The american corporate executives followed their greed and brought an excellent platform down ! very sad day….
GM sure knows better OR DOES IT ?…… very sad to read what GM has done to a wonderful car.! This would be x-mas gift for the imports, !