Detroit based automobile manufacturer, General Motors, on Friday announced that it would make investments worth $300 million at its Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan, and is likely to add 400 jobs to build a new electric vehicle.
According to the GM CEO, Mary Barra, the new vehicle which will bear GM’s Chevrolet brand would be produced at its Orion plant outside Detroit. It was slated to be produced outside of the U.S. initially.
The $300 million investment comes as a part of the GM's pledge to invest a total of $1.8 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations, which would create 700 new jobs and would support 28,000 jobs across six states.
According to the company, the reason for shifting the production of the new car to the U.S. is that it would require an advanced version of the platform used in the current Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, which the Orion plant currently builds. In addition, the move also helps the company in supporting the rules of origin provisions in the proposed United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement.
Last year, GM had announced that it plans to shut down five plants in North America and cut 14,000 jobs as it restructures its business to improve profitability. A move which attracted strong criticism President Trump.