General Motors Co. plans to shut the company’s electric vehicle assembly plant in Orion Township, a Detroit suburb for the next three weeks, GM officials confirmed, despite signs the shortage of semiconductors is beginning to ease.
A GM spokesman said in an email the Orion plant will close not because of the semiconductor issue, but because of a dearth of the new batteries from a GM supplier, LG Chem, used to replace potentially defective batteries found in the Chevrolet Bolt.
The Orion plant reopened earlier this month after being shut since August because of the battery problems in the Chevrolet Bolt.
Full speed ahead
GM and LG Chem are in the process of recalling more than 142,000 electric Bolt EVs and EUVs, which have potentially defective batteries at a cost of $1.8 billion. GM and LG Chem redesigned the battery and resumed production at a plant in western Michigan.
No other GM plants are idle due to semiconductor shortages or parts constraints this week or next week, a GM spokesman said.
The Orion shutdown comes as President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit a second GM plant building battery-electric vehicles, Factory Zero in Detroit, this week to tout the administration’s plans to put more electric vehicles on American roads.
Stellantis cuts jobs
Meanwhile, Stellantis reported all of its assembly plants in North America will be in be in operation this week. However, the automaker also said it plans to cut 400 jobs at an assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois in January.
“As we continue to balance global sales with production of the Jeep Cherokee produced at the Belvidere (III.) Assembly Plant, which has been further exacerbated by the unprecedented global microchip shortage, Stellantis has determined that additional staffing actions are needed as a result of changes in the plant’s operations,” the company said in a statement.
The company said it will make every effort to place laid off hourly employees in open full-time positions as they become available based on seniority. Stellantis offered selected workers buyouts earlier this month.
Toyota ramps up production
Toyota said its global production plan in December is expected to reach the 800,000-unit level as it begins to recover production cutbacks earlier this year.
“As a result of the cooperation of our suppliers, all 14 plants and 28 production lines in Japan will be operating normally for the first time in seven months since May. In addition, we will continue to maintain our production forecast of 9 million units for the fiscal year, which ends March 31,” Toyota officials said.