General Motors may retool its Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico to produce electric vehicles within the next three years, according to a recent report published by Automotive News.
GM said previously that it would introduce 20 new electric vehicles before the end of 2023 and the automaker will continue to introduce more EVs further in the future as demand for the technology grows. That means it will have to convert a good portion of its internal combustion engine vehicle plants to electric vehicle plants – a plan that could very well include Ramos Arizpe.
“The word is getting louder and louder about shifts to Mexico,” San Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions, told Automotive News in a recent interview.
GM has already begun to retool its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Metro Detroit to produce the GMC Hummer EV, Cruise Origin autonomous shuttle and another yet-to-be-announced electric pickup. It will continue to manufacture EVs at its Orion Township plant in Michigan, as well, with the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Bolt EUV expected to join the Chevrolet Bolt at the facility. These represent only a portion of the EVs GM has in the pipeline, though, so it may need to look outside of the U.S. to build all of them.
The Ramos-Arizpe plant currently produces the Chevrolet Blazer and Chevrolet Equinox. It’s not clear what GM’s plan for these vehicles would be if it moved EV production to Ramos Arizpe, however Ramos Arizpe isn’t the exclusive production site for either vehicle. The Chevrolet Blazer is also built at a plant in Shanghai, China for local consumption, while the Equinox is produced in limited quantities at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.
GM is also believed to be analyzing its Lansing Grand River plant as a potential site for EV production. The Michigan plant currently produces the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans and Chevrolet Camaro sports car.
Sam Mceachern. (2020). GM May Produce EVs At Ramos Arizpe Plant In Mexico By 2023. USA. GM Authority. Recuperado de https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/07/gm-may-produce-evs-at-ramos-arizpe-plant-in-mexico-by-2023/
