General Motors has announced plans to extend production cuts at crossover, midsize pickup and sedan plants because of the ongoing microchip shortage but will resume full-size pickup production on Monday.
Five GM North American plants will resume operations as of next week: GM’s three full-size pickup plants; its full-size SUV plant in Arlington, Texas; and its Chevrolet Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The company’s light-duty pickup plants in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Silao, Mexico, also will reopen Monday after a production halt. GM also will continue heavy-duty pickup production in Flint, Michigan, and full-size SUV production in Arlington.
“All of GM's full-size truck and full-size SUV plants in North America will be running regular production,” spokesman David Barnas said in a statement. “The most recent scheduling adjustments are being driven by the continued parts shortages caused by semiconductor supply constraints from international markets experiencing COVID-related restrictions.”
Barnas reiterated that the automaker remains confident in its ability to develop creative solutions designed to minimize the impact on its highest-demand and capacity-constrained vehicles.
AutoForecast Solutions’ estimates the global industry will lose over 8.5 million vehicles from production plans because of the chip shortage.GM also plans additional downtime at:
Lansing Delta Township Assembly: The company has added a week of downtime to this Michigan plant, with production scheduled for Sept. 27. Here, the company has shuttered production since July 19. This plant builds the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave.
Wentzville Assembly: GM added a week of downtime for this Missouri plant. It will restart production Sept. 27. The plant has idled since Sept. 6. The plant builds Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups and the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size commercial vans.
Ramos Arizpe Assembly: There will be another week of downtime for Chevy Blazer production through Sept. 24 at this Mexico plant. The company shuttered Blazer production on Aug. 23. It also idled Equinox production until Oct. 1.
Lansing Grand River Assembly: GM paused Chevy Camaro and Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing production through Sept. 24. They idled regular CT4 and CT5 production through Oct. 1. GM has idled the plant since May 10.
Orion Assembly: This plant, which builds the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV, will take an additional two weeks of downtime through Sept. 24 because of a battery pack shortage. The company recalled all Bolts last month over fire risk.
GM has scheduled the following restarts:
Fort Wayne and Silao assembly plants: GM reports the light-duty pickup plants will resume production Sept. 13.
Spring Hill Assembly: This Tennessee plant will resume operations on Sept. 20 after being down since July 19. The plant builds the GMC Acadia and the Cadillac XT5 and XT6.
Fairfax Assembly: GM will resume production of the Cadillac XT4 on Sept. 20 at this plant. It has not set a restart date for Chevrolet Malibu production. GM has idled the plant since Feb. 8.
