GM to invest more than $1 billion to produce new heavy-duty pickups

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

DETROIT – General Motors plans to invest more than $1 billion in two Michigan plants for production of next-generation heavy-duty trucks, the company said Monday. The investment includes $788 million to prepare its Flint Assembly plant to build the heavy-duty gas and diesel trucks. Another $233 million will be invested in the automaker’s Flint Metal Center to support production of the vehicles. Both plants are located in mid-Michigan.

Despite GM’s commitment to exclusively offer all-electric vehicles by 2035, the company continues to invest in traditional vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups.

The notably profitable trucks are in high demand, and sales are needed to assist in funding the automaker’s investments in EVs. In 2022, GM reported sales of its heavy-duty pickups increased by 38% compared to the prior year, amounting to nearly 288,000 trucks sold.

The investment announcement comes ahead of contract negotiations between the Detroit automakers, including GM, and the United Auto Workers union this summer. For investors, UAW negotiations are typically a short-term headwind every four years that result in higher costs. But this year’s negotiations are expected to be among the most contentious and important in recent memory, fueled by a yearslong organized labor movement across the country, a pro-union president and an industry in transition to all-electric vehicles.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/05/gm-to-invest-in-new-heavy-duty-pickups.html

[True Blue American]

1. Just read this morning

That GM has agreed to build a plant in Brookville Ohi too

[marble falls]

2. Yeah because we need more of these with pristeen beds and higloss sheens in our cities. Here ...

... in Texas these vehicles are 75% transportation and not work horses.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

4. Heavy duty trucks mostly purchased by men with heavy duty inferiority complexes...

and now a heavy duty debt load to carry in the always empty truck bed.

America!

[KS Toronado]

7. If the big 3 started making 6 door pickups

people would rush out to buy them just for bragging rights, and like most 4 door pickups would have
an empty bed and only one passenger,,,,,the driver.

[marble falls]

11. Check this out ...

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/5-biggest-pickup-trucks-ever-made/

?w=1536&h=1024

Lamborgini!!! They did get their start making farming tractors.

?w=1024&h=683&strip=all&quality=89

[marble falls]

9. You're right: the cleaner the bed, the dirtier the psyche.

[Scrivener7]

10. My sister always holds up her pinky when she sees one of them.

In my town there are a number of streets where there is nose-to-curb parking on both sides of the street. The trucks are getting so big that their asses hang out into the street and they're blocking traffic, causing traffic jams.

[pstokely]

26. often just leased

like luxury brands

[Scrivener7]

8. Well, shoot! People need those giant trucks! What if they need to pick up a quart of milk?

What if they need to take their 2.1 kids to school? What if they want to go to Baskin & Robbins?

(It's like those tv shows where people are looking for a house to buy. They can't possibly settle for a house that doesn't have a separate bathroom and bedroom for each child, plus a "teen hangout space" and a "man cave" and a "craft room" and a "she shed." We have become complete and utter morons in the name of consumption.)

[marble falls]

16. They can't pick up a quart of milk with one of those ...

... where're they gonna find a fork lift?

[Major Nikon]

14. I call them Bubba Mobiles

They are modified to the point at which they are totally ill suited to perform the purpose for which they were designed. Then they are only good for creating massive amounts of emissions and giving Bubba an inflated sense of self worth.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. Knew a guy in NJ who owned his own construction biz for maybe...

30 years. His truck was placed together and had 40 years of sawdust and concrete drips on it.


He hired a new guy with a new truck but who was afraid to go down the dirt road with it. Had to grab a ride with someone on the site.

Same thing around here. Trucks working the farms and vineyards are beat to shit, but trust fund guys have all new ones.

[Scrivener7]

22. A friend has a landscaping business. He wanted a new working truck. He didn't

want a video system or cup holders or seat warmers. He wanted to be able to carry huge root balls and blowers and rakes.

None of the new ones were workable between the cost and the ridiculous features. He ended up with a 10 year old working truck with low mileage.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

28. As long as safe, old vehicle ok, run as long as well as old airplanes..just machines, maintenance.

[hibbing]

20. Pavement Princess n/t

[IronLionZion]

3. Biden's creating manufacturing jobs in Michigan

People like big trucks and Flint needs jobs. So much for job killing socialism.

Electric vehicles are nice but I would also like to see more public transit and options to work remotely long term. Those are how we deal with traffic and pollution

[Alexander Of Assyria]

5. Commute, work, die. That's the accepted corporate created mantra that needs another look!

[IronLionZion]

6. Lots of industries profit from commuting

oil companies, vehicle maintenance, stores along major commuting routes, road construction, and even local governments who like revenue from tickets. Some cities will levy fines of like $200 for speeding. Then there are the parking tickets and tow trucks. It's a racket.

[True Blue American]

31. Intel in Ohio.

They waited for his CHIPS BILL to be signed. The CEO IS FROM Pa. His parents live close

[multigraincracker]

12. Just sold my Chevy 1 ton van with

the 6 liter motor. One of best, under $2K vehicles I've ever had. Used to haul cars with it. No longer in that business, so I sold it.

[Bayard]

13. We have 2 trucks

Both of them have beds full of leftover crap from stuff we've hauled (hay, bags of feed, tools, mulch, firewood, building materials, etc.) I'm also still hauling my horse trailer with my 1997 Chevy dually. My truck has the discounted farm license plate.

Sorry to say, both of them needed a bath and swept out about a year ago!

[Auggie]

15. Thank you, GM, for investing in Flint

Wish the market was stronger for light pick-ups and electric vehicles.

I certainly hope these manufacturing facilities are adaptable too. Any major spike in oil prices could kill demand.

[brush]

18. Guess GM is hedging their bets as I've heard that E-pickups on ranches and farms...

Last edited Mon Jun 5, 2023, 01:45 PM - Edit history (1)

I mean trucks used for hauling heavy loads or running farm or ranch equipment, can run out of charge in the middle of a job.

And who has time to go to the charger set-up and wait for the battery to recharge.

Not practicle at all. Wonder how that problem is going to be solved?

[Kennah]

19. Best analysis I've read says it's the CVT transmission that causes the load hauling issues

[brush]

21. Oh, I hadn't heard that. That's sounds kinda like an "if it ain't broke...

don't fix it" issue. What beats a standard manual, transmission on a sometimes off-road, working farm or ranch truck?

That transmission problem on top of E-batteries running out of charge would sure discourage buyers who need functioning work trucks.

[Disaffected]

25. Electric trucks have

CVT transmissions??

[Alexander Of Assyria]

29. Yes, but easily remedied add a gearbox, just for torque. Then it's a two speed.

[Disaffected]

30. I thought that's what some of them already have (a two speed gearbox).

But not a CVT which would not be robust enough for heavy duty application (for that matter, they tend to be problematical even for passenger vehicles especially if driven hard).

[True Blue American]

32. I am looking at the

Small Buick SUV. Give up my LaCross.!

[hatrack]

23. I always have one question whenever I see yet another Testosterone Shitwagon . . .

"How many 8' sheets of plywood can the bed hold?"

Four times out of five, the answer is "zero".

[mpcamb]

27. My prejudice, but I always wonder 'how big is the stack of unpaid child support bills?'.

[LT Barclay]

24. I used to drive a Chevy S-10, which by the way could do about 90-95%

of what a big truck can haul,
At the time my boat was a 23’ sailboat that weighed about 3000 pounds and it was fun to see the look on the face of the guy pulling a 14’ fishing boat behind a 3/4 ton pickup when I pulled up pulling my boat behind the S-10.
I have a bigger boat now but between the cost of gas, insurance and property taxes it is far cheaper to rent a truck for the few times I need to move it.