GM to invest $7B into four factories as electric pickup truck battle heats up

The company said it will invest more than $7 billion in four Michigan factories focused on battery cell and electric truck manufacturing, including a third plant with partner LG Energy Solutions, as it aims to meet ambitious EV production targets.

The Ultium Cells battery cell plant in Michigan and the conversion of the GM assembly plant in Michigan are included in the funding plans.

A new Ultium battery cell manufacturing plant will join the growing list of EV-focused facilities. The land for the cell factory is leased from GM. The plant is scheduled to open in late 2024, and the site preparation will begin this summer. The company said the facility will supply battery cells to GM EV assembly plants.

When running full production, Ultium Cells expects the facility to have 50 gigawatt hours of battery cell capacity. Two battery cell manufacturing sites are being built in Ohio and Tennessee.

The second assembly plant to build full-size electric pickups for the automaker will be located at the Orion factory. GM's coming slate of EV pickup, including the Hummer EV pickup and SUV, will be built at Factory Zero.

By the end of the decade, GM will have more than 1 million electric vehicle capacity in North America. The focus is on EV pickup trucks, an area where GM, Ford and newcomers like Rivian will all compete.

GM’s newest startup aims squarely at the commercial EV market