By Krystal Hur and Octavio Blanco | CNN
General Motors will lay off about 1,300 workers from two of its Michigan plants, according to WARN notices the company has filed with state regulators.
The job cuts at GM’s Orion Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly, which will take place in the new year, come after the automaker said in October that it would be delaying electric pickup truck production into 2025.
The layoffs at GM’s Orion plant will affect 945 employees, while 369 employees will be cut from the Lansing assembly plant.
The Orion plant produced the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV crossover, and GM is planning to produce additional electric vehicles, namely the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV at the plant. But the company announced in October that it would be delaying the start of production, sealing the fate of workers while the plant remains idled.
GM said in October that the delay was not the result of the recent United Auto Workers’ strike, which was the longest US auto strike in 25 years.
CNN has reached out to GM and the United Auto Workers union, which represents workers at the two plants, for comment.
The layoffs at GM reflect the growing uncertainty facing the electric vehicle market. Discounts for EVs have been increasing, according to Edmunds.com, as they remain unsold on dealer lots for longer than gas vehicles. That indicates a decline in demand in what was in recent years projected to be an up-and-coming market.
This a breaking news story and will be updated.
