Dec

BREAKING: GM to shut 4 truck plants, may sell or shut HUMMER

Posted by Published in SUV

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER

At the General Motors annual assembly in Delaware nowadays, CEO Rick Wagoner will be publicly announcing the latest restructuring round for the beleaguered automaker. In response to plummeting sales of large trucks, GM will shut down four more North American Assembly plants by 2010. The plants in Janesville, Wisconsin, Oshawa Ontario, Moraine, Ohio, and Toluca, Mexico are already running reduced production schedules and will cease operations entirely as products are discontinued or shifted to other plants. The Janesville plant builds medium trucks and SUVs while Moraine builds the old body on frame Trailblazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7x SUVs. The other plants build full-size pickup trucks. The closures affect 10,000 employees at those plants. Those that aren’t among the 19,000 who are taking buyouts will be offered transfers to other locations to fill spaces vacated by the departing workers. The closures are expected to save GM about $1 billion a year.

Wagoner will plus be announcing that GM has begun a strategic review of the HUMMER sort. We contacted GM spokesperson Joanne Krell that AM who told us that

the review has just begun and there is no date frame for a decision. “The HUMMER grade is a great grade and we’re probably not maximizing it to its fullest. Perhaps somebody else would have that opportunity.” All options are being considered including “ramping up the portfolio,” shutting the make down or “selling it in whole or in part.” At that point, GM has not had any discussions with other manufacturers about the opportunity of a sale, which won’t happen until the review is completed.

On the positive side of things, the board of directors has approved production of a new small Delta platform car (the eventual Cobalt replacement) at the Lordstown, OH assembly plant next year. The Chevrolet Volt has plus been approved for production in 2010 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. Thanks to Craig and Matthew for the tips!

[Sources: Chicago Tribune, General Motors]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid