General Motors announced another delay in the opening of a new plant for the production of electric pickup trucks in Detroit. At the same time, Ford confirmed that it will make gasoline trucks at a plant that was originally intended for electric models.
As reported by Carscoops, GM is delaying the opening of its Orion Assembly EV plant until 2026. This is the second such delay for the plant where the Chevrolet Silverado EV will be made. In addition, the company also postponed the launch of the hybrid Buick PHEV.
The reason for this decision was the decrease in the interest of American buyers in electric models. Like General Motors, Ford has invested billions of dollars in electrifying its lineup, but has run into the same problem.
After Ford said it was slowing the pace of electric vehicles in Europe, the automaker confirmed it will use its Oakville plant in Ontario, Canada, to make older Super Duty pickups instead of the electric Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs.
So, in order to make a profit and reduce losses from electrification, companies are returning to the models that their customers know and love – large trucks with internal combustion engines. At the same time, Mary Barra – the head of General Motors, said that the production of Ultium trucks will begin only in the middle of 2026.