General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly facility in Michigan will soon see sweeping changes as it’s retooled to become GM’s first electric vehicle plant. However, before it starts a new chapter with EVs, the facility must first turn the page on internal combustion, rolling out the very last unit of the Chevrolet Impala nameplate.
According to a recent story from Detroit Free Press, the last 2020 Chevrolet Impala model is expected to roll off the line by the end of the week, after which the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will officially end production of internal combustion-powered vehicles.
Following the end of Chevrolet Impala production, GM will embark on an in-depth retooling process to prep the Detroit-Hamtramck plant for production of the new GMC Hummer electric pickup, as well as the fully autonomous Cruise Origin EV. The process is expected to take between 12 and 18 months, and will involve a complete reconfiguration. Once the process is complete, the plant is expected to be one of the most advanced production facilities in North America, and will employ upwards of 2,200 workers.
Previously, Detroit-Hamtramck was slated for permanent closure as part of GM’s far-reaching restructuring efforts. However, GM walked back on that plan during negotiations with the United Auto Workers during the extended union strike last year, and now, the plant has been assigned production for two of GM’s forthcoming electric vehicle products. The automaker will invest $2.2 billion towards electric vehicle production at the Detroit-Hamtramck facility.
GM is expected to lay off some 814 hourly and salaried workers following the production end of the 2020 Impala. UAW members were given the option to either permanently relocate to another GM facility, or temporarily transfer while the Detroit-Hamtramck facility was retooled.
Meanwhile, the fate of the final 2020 Chevrolet Impala produced is currently unknown.
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Source: Detroit Free Press
Comments
“General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly facility in Michigan will soon see sweeping changes as it’s retooled to become GM’s first electric vehicle plant.” This is an error because this plan did make an EV before with a range extending gas engine, and it was the Chevy Volt. The correct wording should be “retooled again to return as”.
GM’s Biggest Mistake, Killing off the Impala
GM soon to become an all truck and SUV company. Looking for a normal sedan or other type of car we would like to show you the Accord, Camry, Avalon, Altima, Sonata, Optima, Passat or a whole line of nice Subaru vehicles. Wow now that’s genius marketing there GM!
Joe Yoman
And the winner of the: Your next Uber will be a”
award goes to
(Drum Roll)
La La Land
La la land as in where GM is currently occupying. Well that is 100% correct!
Look at the Impala production runs. There is a need for the Impala. Great family sedan, perfect car for for company car fleets.
Dependable, comfort and simply a good car.
what a dumass move the best and last Gm sedan the Chevy Impala is rolling off the assembly line onto the sunset not to be seen again , Mary and all the cronies should be in it .
The Impala was one of the best cars GM ever made. An updated version might have had a hybrid option and an AWD option. But even as is, this is a very fine car — as good as the best Cadillac and Buick sedans.
Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Subaru are laughing all the way to the bank.
My immediate family has 7 Impala’s, we have been discussing what we will replace them with when the time comes and it looks like Camry and Charger are the winners. Most of us have been GM customers for 30-40 years. Seven more customers Mary has run off!
GM has been making idiotic decisions since the late 80’s could not find GM parts in Flint, MI. Another lame choice like closing the Lordstown plant and then spending money to build another plant there.
sad and sad a lot of people have looked past it to get a lesser cuv for the same or even more semoliones
Was going to comment but reading all the other comments pretty muck covers my feeling about the Impala cancellation. Cancel a vehicle that is making you money to build something that you have to pay people to buy . I guess GM think that’s a smart move, me not so much.
Bonehead move. But then again we are talking about GM.
As Joe indicated. GM Chevrolet will be a Truck or Suv company. How myopic of GM. People will eventually flock over to the competitors product because all the sedan choices have been eliminated. It will ultimately hurt GM s customer base. And how much does it cost to reaquire the generations of “lost customers”. . The EV vehicles can be built in the same facility without eliminating the Impala or other Chevrolets cars. Non Forward thinking going on here. I feel sad.
We will miss the Chevrolet Impala and I would buy one if they were available in Australia. Certainly sorry to say good bye to the Impressive Impala. But I will continue to enjoy my factory original 1962 Export RHD Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan.
Long live Chevrolets IMPALA!!!
A little off subject but why do GM use the excuse of how difficult it is to convert USA built vehicles to right hand drive. They exported German build Opals and they had to convert them to right hand drive. The last generation Impala was front wheel drive and they offered a V8 in that version for a short while. I would have bet this impala with right hand drive and a V8 option would have been a bigger success than the opal the used to replace the commodore. Just my opinion and some random throughts.
#BringTheImpalaBackAsAnEVSportback
It’s hard for me to follow the reasons behind the death of the traditional passenger sedan. Why people increasingly prefer box styled trucks (SUVs Cross Overs etc) is something I will never follow.
As an active 68 year old, I figure that I have perhaps 15 to 20 years driving left in me and perhaps the final 5 years be made up of short local driving trips. So I guess that the fact that GM is becoming a truck manufacturer will have zero impact on me.
Apart from our collector cars which consist of my much loved ground up restored 1962 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan, 1983 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (like brand new) and our ground up restored 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza convertible we own a perfect example of Holden (badged as a Chevrolet) WM Caprice sedan. In dark red this 6 litre V8 in many ways represents the best of the “Holden” badged cars and it will without question probably be the last GM vehicle that I will own.
These long wheel base 2006 – 2016 WM & WN Holden Caprice’s were sold in V6 and V8 form and also badged as Chevrolets and Buicks for the export market. They are outstanding cars. Stripped down versions were used in the United States as police cars and good examples can today be purchased at bargain prices.
If I lived in the USA I would seek out a low mile former 2007 Police Chevrolet Caprice then import a complete Australian Caprice upmarket leather interior and other fittings from Australia. With the current exchange rate this whole project could be completed for quite reasonable money and the result would be a high end left hand drive Chevrolet Caprice that would leave G8 Pontiacs and the last Chevrolet SS behind in every respect.
Certainly its a shame these cars were never offered to private buyers in the USA, but the plain Jane police examples fitted out with an Australian upmarket Holden Caprice interior, wheels etc would for a few provide one of the best sedans GM has built in recent years.
Long live sedan based cars in this truck thinking world.