• GM will build electric motors at its St. Catharines, Ontario plant.
• The plant already produces V6 and V8 engines and will continue to do so during GM's electric transition.
• The St. Catharines facility will be able to supply motors for 400,000 EVs per year.
Great news for Ontario's auto industry as General Motors (GM) has confirmed plans to build electric motors for EVs at its St. Catharines plant.
The Canadian division of Automotive News reported the news.
GM says that this decision, which is contingent on the company receiving government (federal and provincial) support, will mean 500 new jobs at the plant. The plant currently employs just over 1,100 workers producing V6 and V8 engines as well as transmissions for GM’s various divisions.
GM says the Ultium units that will be assembled will replace some of the combustion-engine production, once the plant has undergone some renovations in order to be able to produce the new electric motors. This means that combustion engines will be assembled at the plant for some time, until GM offers only electric-powered vehicles.
Unifor union president Lana Payne said via a statement that the investment ensures that autoworkers will continue to be the economic backbone of the region going forward.
The electric motors to be built in St. Catharines will be used in the BrightDrop vans GM assembles in part at its Ingersoll, Ontario, plant, as well as in the future Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV electric pickup trucks. The plant is expected to be able to produce motors for 400,000 vehicles per year.
GM Canada president Marissa West posted on LinkedIn that the investment is “still subject to completing support agreements with federal and Ontario government partners.”
She added that “St. Catharines will play a critical role in GM's plans to build 1 million EVs in North America by 2025. This is an historic time of historic transformation for our industry.”
