With all the rhetoric going around about the demise of the gas or diesel powered vehicle due to the migration to electrically powered vehicles, anyone in the transmission repair trade is wondering if there will be automatic transmissions to repair in their future.
The truth of the matter is, John Q Public is not ready for that commitment which resulted in auto manufacturers to significantly scale back electric vehicle production. These manufacturers have choked on billions of dollars in losses as a result of this cut back which also has O.E.M. suppliers wanting compensation for loss of revenue.
Fear not, General Motors is committing an additional $340 million toward production of 10-speed transmissions at plants in Michigan and Ohio for next-generation pickups and SUVs. GM said it will spend $300 million to increase capacity for transmission production at its Romulus Propulsion Systems plant near Detroit. That is in addition to a $300 million investment in the plant announced in November. The automaker will spend $40 million to boost transmission production at Toledo Propulsion Systems in Ohio, adding to a $40 million investment revealed in March.
GM Canada on April 29 said it will invest $505 million in its propulsion plant in St. Catharines, Ontario, near Niagara Falls. Workers there will build next-generation V-8 engines for pickups and SUVs, in addition to factories in Flint, Mich., and Tonawanda, N.Y.
The investments come as GM prepares to start production of redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups this year. The automaker also is ramping up production of other high-margin, gasoline-powered vehicles amid weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicles.
In addition to the $680 million earmarked for Romulus and Toledo, GM on April 1 said it would spend $150 million at a metal castings plant in Saginaw, Mich., to increase head casting production for sixth generation V-8 engines. Those engines will power the Chevrolet Corvette and full-size pickups, GM said.
GM said it has invested more than $6 billion in U.S. manufacturing since 2025. That includes retooling of Orion Assembly in Michigan for the next-generation Silverado, Sierra and Cadillac Escalade.
Source: Automotive News
Photo: Courtesy of General Motors