With General Motors ending production at its Lordstown, Ohio plant on March 8, a group of environmentalists is asking the automaker to retool the plant for a new emission-free vehicle. The group believes that such a plan would save the save the factory and the jobs, according to the Tribune Chronicle. Trying to save jobs is admirable; however, a new emission-free vehicle is unlikely to save Lordstown for several reasons.
Such an investment retooling the factory would cost tens of millions of dollars at a time when the automaker is trying to save $6 billion by 2020. Much of these plans that will be set forth are likely already finalized, as it’s the nature of the auto industry.
The massive restructuring plan includes idling five North American factories including the Lordstown location. The other issue with such a proposal is General Motors doesn’t have a new emission-free vehicle to produce at the factory—and it takes years to take a car form an idea to production. There’s no way GM could develop a new car for Lordstown in a meaningful timeframe.
Another part of GM’s restructuring included discontinuing the Chevrolet Volt—a green car—due to low demand. Consumers are flocking to crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, and abandoning sedans at the expense of domestic automaker sales volume, which is also why the Cruze is going away in the first place. Cheap fuel prices and an abundance of credit is making it easier for consumers to buy into larger vehicles without worrying about the prices at the pump eating into monthly budgets.
2019 Chevrolet Volt
It doesn’t help the environmentalists’ case that Lordstown employees are already securing transfers to openings at other GM plants. As of last month, 372 Lordstown employees secured transfers to GM’s Spring Hill Assembly, Toledo Transmission, Fort Wayne Assembly, and Bedford Powertrain factories. However, the UAW has filed a lawsuit against GM, alleging the company violated its agreement, in hopes of keeping Lordstown and two other factories opened temporarily.
It appears that GM is committed to its plan to end its operations at Lordstown. Yet there are reports that the automaker is actively looking for a company to take over the factory, according to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. However, it’s unclear what kind of deal GM is seeking as the governor did not say GM is looking for someone to buy the tooling or purchase the rights to the Chevy Cruze. Instead, he said GM wants to find someone to “take over.” DeWine said GM hadn’t given any indication to the state if it would allocate a new vehicle at the factory.
Comments
The best thing that can go there is a Truck,, SUV or CUV.
The plant needs high volume for its size.
I think the Lordstown facility, when it was run by GM Assembly, once supported multiple model assembly? Could updating the Cruse, continuing to build an updated Volt, and adding a Voltec and ICE CUV to the mix create enough volume to keep the plant open, as well as providing a believable transition to GM’s “all electric” green future?
I have no numbers to back that suggestion up, but with some serious product marketing, perhaps it could become a real win-win for all sides of the debate?
See the posts below for better comments on this matter.
Never. Going. To. Happen.
Gm would have to drop billions to build anything larger than the Cruze at Lordstown. The shop is NOT as big as you seem to think.
GM seems to have billions to drop on other much more foolish ideas, especially in China. What is wrong with saving some American manufacturing and jobs for a change? Also, I suggested a mix of smaller vehicles, which Lordstown has always assembled.
Jim is correct.
The plant built multi models but they were all on the same platform. There was a second line that built vans.
The plant was opened in 1966 and I was there at the opening.
For a good long while it was the largest plant GM had.
The line today is built for small vehicles. The paint shop is also built for small vehicles preventing models like the. Blazer from being built there, Also th3 fact the Blazer is also being sold in great numbers in Mexico, central and South America.
The reality is GM has more plant capacity than they need here. They also tent to lean more on newer and smaller facilities.
Now the union at a Lordstown is seen in a goo light unlike Unifor at Oshawa.
Now the reality is GM has not disclosed the future of Lordstown yet. It is known nothing is coming soon but there is still a chance they could bring is back at some point in the future.
The failure of the Cruze and the decline of the sales of small cars caught them out. Hence no plans for an immediate replacment being available.
At this point GM may not know what they will do here or if they do they can not speak of it as the future plans would need to be negotiated with the unions as the bid on the contracts between plants.
Silence is generally required as to new products on where and when it is built.
Right now small cars are not going to be a major part of the future of most automakers in Nort America unless it is a global model.
There are so many thing involved with products and planning that the web CEO propel tend to leave out. Also so much info is not open to us here that has to be considered.
Sales for every mfg will continue to decline so making the most money on less vehicles will be key to survival to all MFGs.
I doubt the group are environmentalists because building any car (whether its green or not) takes a toll on the environment). True environmentalists would be cheering the closing of the plant.
Not necessarily.
The dark greens, yes, avoid them as they can’t be reconciled with; not without first talking to a tree and dropping lots of acid, and you’ll also want to avoid the alarmist hair-trigger emotional sensationalism of celebrity ecology.
But much of a car built today is built from recycled materials or sustainably farmed materials, which is a result of SANE environmentalists decades ago that used scientific studies to back up their reasoning, as well as the economic saving that make the bean counters happy. Push it further, and even the plants today use less energy to make a car, which means lower operating costs.
Do these same “environmentalists” target GM China and China parts suppliers also? After all, China is the world’s worst polluter even though it is behind the U.S. in economic output.
You mean the Eco-terrorists pushing their extremist agenda?
Most people (of course not the far left-wingers types) realize “Global Warming/ Change/ Something or Other” is a fraud and hoax designed to push a far left agenda globally. Funny how those types always disappear when the country is in a deep freeze and experts says the Earth is actually cooling or staying the same temp.
This is a Russian citizen working for the “Internet Research Agency”. Their father is in jail, their mother works slave-labor for the local pimp. The only way they can get their overlords to feed their parents is to write this drivel for you.
If you believe this, the Russians have triggered your tiny little brain …. again.
Hey, OT. No one was talking about Commies until you once again brought it up. Sensitive for any reason? Seemed to be triggered these days.
Speaking of “Russians”, whatever happened to that “Russian Collusion” thingy with President Trump? Thought there was mounds of evidence? More Fake News…
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I never said anybody colluded. Puppets don’t collude, they do as they’re told by the hand up their…
GT stands for his fantasy online-name when he was a kid still enjoying the love of his parents –
Generalissimo Tvetsovkovlov
Fake News “Old Trombone” is back!
Frustrating when you can’t control the narrative?