- GM’s Orion Assembly Plant is rescheduling the production of electric trucks for a mid-2026 release
- The timeline for Buick’s EV is now uncertain
- The Cruise autonomous robotaxi will no longer utilize the specially designed Origin vehicle
Once again, General Motors is pushing back the expansion of electric pickup truck manufacturing, as well as the introduction of the first Buick EV in the U.S., citing sources from Bloomberg (via Autoblog).
According to CEO Mary Barra during a recent earnings conference call, the commencement of the manufacturing process for Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV pickup trucks at GM’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan has been deferred to mid-2026.
The delay is the primary cause behind GM’s inability to achieve its previous target of having production capacity for one million EVs by 2025. Barra confirmed in the report that GM would fall short of this objective, citing sluggish demand. Nevertheless, the company has faced challenges in expanding production capacity for new EVs utilizing its Ultium battery technology.
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1
This marks the second postponement for the reassignment of the Orion plant, which formerly produced the Chevy Bolt EV until its discontinuation at the end of 2023. This transition was intended to free up space for electric trucks at the Orion facility.
GM has now delayed the scaling up of truck production for the second time. In late 2023, the company announced that this expansion would be deferred until 2025, leaving the Orion plant inactive in the interim rather than continuing Bolt EV assembly. A new generation of Bolt EV is expected for the 2026 model year.
Limited production of the Silverado EV has already commenced at GM’s Factory Zero plant in Detroit. GM disclosed in its Q2 financial results that 3,257 of these trucks were delivered in the first half of 2024. The automaker previously mentioned in April that Sierra EV deliveries would begin in the summer, with the initial production also anticipated to originate from Factory Zero.
Buick Wildcat EV concept
Buick is currently the sole GM brand in the U.S. lacking an all-electric model. Its debut EV for the U.S. was slated to be unveiled later this year as the flagship of a series named Electra, inspired by the design of the Buick Wildcat concept from 2022. In preparation for an electric vehicle transformation, Buick started offering dealer buyouts in 2022.
Additionally, GM has recently announced that its subsidiary Cruise, specializing in autonomous driving technology, will no longer utilize the Purpose-built Origin vehicle, which was devoid of steering controls and pedals, but will adopt the same Ultium battery technology as the company’s other EVs. This initiative was previously on hold for several months due to setbacks last year, prompting Cruise to opt for the next-generation Bolt EV for its autonomous taxi fleet instead.