General Motors is cutting production of its BrightDrop delivery vans at its plant in Canada, resulting in the elimination of 500 jobs due to reduced demand. The plant will be idled for roughly 20 weeks until October, with battery pack assembly also being down for two weeks before the shutdown. Despite the cutbacks, GM states that the decisions are not related to President Trump’s tariffs but are instead a response to market demand and inventory balancing.
The Canadian union Unifor, which represents workers at the plant, called the actions a “crushing blow” to the families who rely on the facility for employment. GM had high hopes for its BrightDrop vans, expecting them to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2023, but sales and revenue fell short of expectations. In 2023 and 2024, the automaker only sold about 2,000 of the electric vans.
The plans to idle the plant come in the wake of reports that hundreds of BrightDrop vehicles were sitting in storage in Flint, Michigan. Unifor expressed concerns about the future of the facility, citing the need for stronger domestic support and fair market access. The union also criticized Trump’s tariffs and rejection of EV technology, which they believe are disrupting investment and risking the North American industry falling behind foreign competitors.
Despite the challenges, GM remains committed to the CAMI facility and plans upgrades for the 2026 model year. They are taking steps to mitigate job losses during the downturn and are urging government support to help Canadian auto workers and products.
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