General Motors said on Friday it is going to invest $760 million at its Toledo, Ohio factory for building drive units for electric trucks, the automaker’s first U.S. powertrain center repurposed for EV-related production.
The automaker currently builds GM’s six-speed, eight-speed and 10-speed rear-wheel drive and nine-speed front-wheel-drive transmissions in a range of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac at its 2.82-million square foot Toledo, Ohio, transmission plan which it has renamed Toledo Propulsion Systems.
Congress in August approved substantial financial incentives for automakers to convert factories producing parts for gasoline-pore vehicles to electric models.
“Once the plant is converted, it will produce GM’s family of EV drive units, which convert electric power from the battery pack to mechanical motion at the wheels,” GM said, adding the plant will produce transmission products while building drive units simultaneously during GM’s EV transition.
The Toledo facility presently employs about 1,500 people. Many autoworkers have expressed concerns regarding the transition to EVs and if it would impact auto jobs.
