News: GM to Close 4 Large-Vehicle Plants

[RH77]

According to a Time.com report, the "General" is surrendering 4 SUV and truck plants around the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. Fuel prices and other economic factors have forced a shift in customer buying patterns. The good news is that smaller vehicles are becoming more and more popular.


Vehicles such as the Chevy Suburban just aren't selling these days

Now for the bad news. More manufacturing jobs leave already strapped locales like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Oshawa, Ontario. 10,000 jobs out the door. No plans to make any other vehicles at these plants are planned. Mothballs are on order. Rumor has it that the Hummer brand is even getting the axe.

The (delayed) focus is now on the "small car", with a plan for a mid-priced, 45 MPG vehicle to bolster the lineup. But when, and where built? Likely, not anywhere close to here or now.

RH77

[Arminius]

Sad, really sad, considering that Japanese manufacturers are announcing daily their new plans to produce electric cars. My next car will be electric, and hopefully it will be made in North America. Pipe dream.

[Daox]

Yeah, they were talking about this on the radio on the way in today. Its a really big deal here in WI. I think we loose like 2,000 jobs due to it not to mention the industry that supports the plant. Overall I think its a good thing though.

[ebacherville]

Originally Posted by Daox

Yeah, they were talking about this on the radio on the way in today. Its a really big deal here in WI. I think we loose like 2,000 jobs due to it not to mention the industry that supports the plant. Overall I think its a good thing though.

Well its bad but good too, however GM could kep the big vehicals if they would make a smaller diesel.. that doesnt have the track record of the old 350 diesels of the 80's GM really screwed the pooch on that one .. there full size diesels were plopping down 30+mpg, but the motors were lemons and never were very reliable..

Really they could make these full size SUVs pull down 30 MPG with a small diesel in them. 30mpg if far better than 15 mpg they get now.. but now a suv will accelerate like a rocket and have a top speed of 115.. or faster if there were no computer govenor on it.. GM!! you don't need to go 100mph 75's just fine..

case in point a suburban is about the size of the sprinter vans.. the sprinters easily pull down 30mpg with there small diesels..

[Arminius]

Nice to see that GM is planning a line of 1.4L engines. I keep e-mailing them about more EV options.

[MetroMPG]

This is making a bit of a political mess in Ontario as well, since the provincial gov't recently forked over a bunch of taxpayer money in the form of interest-free loans to GM which were intended to guarantee a certain level of manufacturing employment here. Now that's all up in the air.