Two US automakers, General Motors and Ford Motor, said they are laying off another 500 workers at four Midwestern plants because of the impact on some of the facilities due to the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike on its 18th day, Reuters reported October 3. Separately, the UAW confirmed it presented a new contract offer to GM. The automaker said it received the counterproposal "but significant gaps remain." The UAW also held a new round of bargaining with Chrysler-parent Stellantis. Ford s...

After a week into the persisting standoff with the Detroit Three – General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis – the United Auto Workers (UAW) announced on September 22 that it is expanding the ongoing strike to 38 parts distribution locations across 20 states in the US. In its second wave, the UAW strike aims to target the aftersales and service facilities, which is expected to have a direct and immediate impact on the carmaker’s dealerships, and therefore customers. While the UA...

US automaker General Motors will halt the production of its all-electric BrightDrop commercial vans at its Ontario-based manufacturing facility from October until next spring, a news report published by The Detroit News said September 15. Citing GM, the report stated that the halt has come because of delays in the delivery of battery modules that are used in the electric vehicles. Citing an official statement from the company, the report said, “CAMI Assembly will take downtime beginning ...

Facing the ongoing strike by United Auto Workers (UAW), automaker General Motors said it idled its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan., around 1 p.m. September 20, and that most of the 2,000 workers across two shifts there will be laid off indefinitely, Detroit Free Press reported September 20. The layoff is a result of the UAW's strike at GM's Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri, US. GM builds its midsize pickups and cargo vans at Wentzville, Mo., and the plant also does stamping w...

The ongoing negotiation between automakers and the labor union continues to drag as a Reuters report on September 11 said the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has made some headway in labor talks with the Detroit Three automakers just three days before a potential strike of 146,000 US autoworkers, but an agreement was still not in reach, UAW President Shawn Fain said September 11. "We've made some progress, a little bit of progress but it's still slow but we're moving," Fain told CNN. "We...

US automaker General Motors on August 16 announced leading a $60 million Series-B financing round in Mitra Chem, a Silicon Valley, Calif.-based, AI-enabled battery-materials innovator. The company’s AI-powered platform and advanced research and development (R&D) facility in Mountain View, Calif., will help accelerate GM’s commercialization of affordable electric vehicle batteries. The collaboration of GM and Mitra Chem will develop advanced iron-based cathode active materials (CAM), s...

US carmaker General Motors announced August 8 that it plans to expand its vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional-charging technology to offer it with its entire retail portfolio of Ultium-based electric vehicles that will be launched by 2026. The first GM EVs to receive the bidirectional-charging technology will include the previously announced 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, followed by the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Cadi...

US carmaker General Motors announced July 25 that its Canada-based CAMI Assembly plant is scheduled to begin building battery modules in the second quarter of 2024. The battery-assembly operations at the CAMI Assembly plant will support GM’s fast-increasing electric vehicle production volume. According to the carmaker, the new CAMI Assembly plant is spread across an area of 400,000 square foot, and is slated to assemble battery modules for BrightDrop Zevo production as well as additional Ul...

US automaker General Motors is recalling nearly 900 vehicles in the US and Canada with Takata airbag inflators that could explode and hurl shrapnel in a crash. The recall covers certain Chevrolet Camaro, Sonic and Volt vehicles as well as the Buick Verano, all from the 2013 model year. Some 2013 Chevrolet Trax versions in Canada are also included, Associated Press reported August 2. The company said in documents posted by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that...

In a U-turn, General Motors Chairperson and CEO Mary Barra confirmed that the company plans to introduce a next-generation Bolt under its Chevrolet brand, according to a press note issued by GM on July 25. The confirmation came on the sidelines of the company’s quarterly earnings conference call July 25. Speaking to the analysts during the call, Barra said, “Our customers love today’s Bolt. It has been delivering record sales and some of the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty sco...

Seven leading global carmakers — BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis NV — plan to establish an electric vehicle charging joint venture with an aim of accelerating the transition to EVs in North America, the companies said in a joint announcement July 26. The press note issued by the companies said that the all-new JV company will include the development of a new, high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 chargers to make zero-emissio...

General Motors' self-driving arm, Cruise, has started initial testing and data collection in Miami. Phase 1 is to familiarize their fleet with additional, diverse road conditions while collecting data, TechCrunch reported July 21 based on the company’s tweet. The self-driving startup, however, did not reveal further information, such as what Phase 2 entailed and when it will begin, how many vehicles were currently in Miami, and when the company planned to start testing. Accor...

Chevrolet has unveiled its model year 2024 Traverse midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV) with multiple technologies, it said in a press release July 17. The Traverse features many safety technologies such as standard Chevy Safety Assist, which includes automatic emergency braking, forward-collision alert, following-distance indicator, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, IntelliBeam high-beam assist, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking. Apart from GM’s Super Cruise hands-fre...

US regulators will soon decide on a petition filed by General Motors' Cruise self-driving technology unit seeking permission to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without human controls, said a Reuters report dated July 13, quoting a top auto safety official. The petition, filed in February 2022, seeks government approval to deploy vehicles annually without steering wheels, mirrors, turn signals or windshield wipers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Ac...

US automakers, General Motors Co on June 30 announced the acquisition of Israel-based battery software startup ALGOLiON Ltd. for an undisclosed sum. This buyout was led by the newly formed Technology Acceleration and Commercialization (TAC) organization, a group within GM that works to identify emerging technology that can support GM’s leadership position in battery development through investments, acquisitions, or partnerships. The startup’s employees, including the company’s founders,...

Australia-based materials company Element 25 Ltd. (E25) announced June 26 that it has signed an agreement with General Motors (GM), wherein it will supply up to 32,500 metric tons of manganese sulfate per annum to the US automaker. Manganese sulfate is a key component in lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cathodes. E25 said that the supply of manganese sulfate will support GM’s annual production of more than 1 million electric vehicles in North America. In addition, the agreement also entails ...

On June 8, General Motors Company (GM) announced that it is collaborating with Tesla to integrate the latter’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its own electric vehicle lineup. As a result of this alignment, GM EV drivers will also get access to Tesla’s Supercharger network across North America — one of the largest fast-charging networks in the region. Talking to Tesla chief Elon Musk, in a Twitter Spaces event on the same day, GM CEO Mary Barra, said, “Yo...

US automaker General Motors (GM) and South Korea’s battery manufacturer Samsung SDI plan to build an electric vehicle battery-cell plant in Indiana, according to a news report published by Reuters on June 13. The news report cited the state governor. GM and Samsung SDI will be investing more than $3 billion on building the planned EV battery-cell manufacturing plant in Indiana, it said. The facility is scheduled to commence operations in 2026 and is expected to create about 1,700 manuf...

Buick will introduce Super Cruise to the brand in the all new model year (MY) 2024 Envision sport utility vehicle (SUV), it said in a press release June 13. Super Cruise is a hands-free driver assistance system compatible on more than 400,000 miles of roads in the US and Canada. The new Envision will have a new sculptural-design language with Buick’s new grille and front with the brand’s new body-mounted emblem on the hood. Further details will be released later, the statement read. ...

General Motors Co. on June 12 announced plans to invest $632 million in Fort Wayne Assembly, Ind., to prepare the plant for production of the next-generation internal combustion engine (ICE) full-size light-duty trucks. This investment will enable the company to strengthen its industry-leading full-size truck business; however, product details and timing related to future trucks are not being released at this time by the original equipment manufacturer. This investment stren...

Soon after Ford Motor Co. reached an agreement with Tesla to gain access to the latter’s Supercharger network across North America, General Motors Co. (GM) too made a similar announcement June 8. GM said that it is collaborating with Tesla to integrate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its electric vehicles beginning 2025. The collaboration between the two companies will expand access to charging for GM EV drivers at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across Nor...

US automaker General Motors Co. plans to invest more than $500 million at its Arlington Assembly plant to prepare the facility for production of future internal combustion engine (ICE) full-size sport utility vehicles (SUVs), the company announced June 8. The investment, however, is subject to successful discussions with the local government officials, it said. In its official statement June 8, GM said that the latest investment will bring its US manufacturing and parts-distribution f...

General Motors Co. announced June 5 its plans to invest more than $1 billion in two of its Flint, Mich., manufacturing sites — Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center — to prepare those plants for the production of the next-generation internal combustion engine (ICE) heavy-duty trucks. This investment bolsters GM’s US manufacturing operations, which include more than 50 assembly, stamping, propulsion and component plants, and parts-distribution centers nationwide. It also highlights ...

US automaker General Motors joined hands with steel producer ArcelorMittal to source XCarb recycled and renewable produced (RRP) steel from ArcelorMittal, which promises a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to much of the carbon steel available in North America, a company press release dated June 7 said. The material will be supplied from ArcelorMittal Dofasco in the Hamilton, Ontario, plant in Canada, and shipments are expected to begin during the second quarter o...

General Motors and POSCO Future M on June 2 announced the second phase of their Ultium CAM joint venture, an investment projected to exceed $1 billion to increase the production capacity of CAM in North America and integrate precursor materials production. pCAM is a specifically engineered combination of processed raw materials necessary to produce CAM, a key battery material representing about 40% of the cost of a battery cell. Currently, CAM and pCAM processing is highly concentrated in Asia. ...

General Motors, Stellantis and Yanfeng Automotive Interior Systems Co. have agreed to bail out Unique Fabricating Inc., which is on the brink of insolvency in the US, with investment of up to $15 million to steer through its activities until it sells its business and restructures, according to a news report published by Automotive News on May 30. General Motors, Stellantis and Yanfeng are the three largest customers of Unique Fabricating. The three companies entered into an accommodation agre...

US automaker General Motors (GM) will receive $300 million in government incentives and grants for setting up a cathode active materials (CAM) plant in Bécancour, Quebec, Canada, according to a news report published by Automotive News Canada on May 29. The news report cited the Canadian and provincial governments, which disclosed the financial assistance provided to the carmaker. GM, along with its South Korean battery-materials partner Posco, is constructing a battery CAM manufacturing plan...

The automotive industry is adopting additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, to produce complex parts, reduce expenses, save time and weight, and provide greater design flexibility. The electronics industry is also expected to become a significant customer of 3D printing technology, especially for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), owing to the benefits of 3D-printed circuits in reducing volume and optimizing pathways. The development of more advanced printers and process...

General Motors Co. (GM) announced May 12 it will recall nearly 1 million sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in the US because the driver's airbag inflator may explode during deployment, a Reuters report dated May 13 said. The recall covers 994,763 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles from the 2014 through 2017 model years with modules produced by ARC Automotive Inc. (ARC). Dealers will replace the driver's airbag module. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ...

To accelerate its technology-driven transformation, US automaker General Motors Co. (GM) announced May 9 the appointment of Mike Abbott, former vice president of Engineering for Apple’s Cloud Services division, as executive vice president, Software, effective May 22. He will report to GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. As a member of the senior leadership team, Abbott will lead a new integrated end-to-end software organization focused on the development of vehicle and enterprise software technolo...

US automaker General Motors plans to discontinue the production of its electric Chevrolet Bolt models by the end of this 2023, according to a news report published by CNBC on April 25. The news report cited company CEO Mary Barra, who told the same to investors during the first-quarter earnings. While it is known that the Chevy Bolt electric vehicle (EV) and electric utility vehicle (EUV) models make up for a majority of GM’s electric car sales to date, the battery cells in these ...

General Motors has announced that it is joining the Eclipse Foundation, one of the world's largest open-source software foundations, in a press release dated April 27. The automaker will participate in the Eclipse Foundation’s Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group, which develops automotive-grade software stacks using open source and open specifications. GM’s Ultifi software platform partners including Microsoft and Red Hat, and multiple other automakers are participants in ...

General Motors' venture capital, GM Ventures, is investing $50 million in Energy Exploration Technologies (EnergyX) to enhance the company’s lithium extraction and refining technology. Both companies entered into a strategic agreement that is focused on unlocking North America’s supply of lithium, a critical material for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, by using EnergyX’s innovative extraction process, reported The Business Journal on April 11. Significance: The US aut...

General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has recalled 300 robo-taxis to update software after one of them rear-ended a municipal bus in San Francisco. Cruise said in government documents posted April 7 that the robo-taxi inaccurately predicted how a bus would move as it pulled out of a bus stop on March 23. The “articulated” two-section bus slowed as it was leaving the stop and was hit by the self-driving vehicle, Associated Press reported on April 7. The company said...

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, and Waymo, a spinoff from Google, reach their goal before year’s end; San Francisco would become the first US city with two totally driverless services competing against Uber, Lyft and traditional taxis — all of which depend on people to control the automobiles. Both ride-hailing services are heading toward uncharted territory as they seek regulatory approval to transport passengers around the clock throughout one of the most densely ...

General Motors (GM) is planning to phase out the popular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting from the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, in order to collect more data from consumers of electric vehicles (EVs) to draw greater insights. Instead, the automaker will move to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google for future EVs, Reuters first reported on March 31.  The decision to phase out CarPlay smartphone projection technology is likely to be a setback for Apple in the...

The Cruise Origin is produced at General Motors Factory ZERO Plant. The vehicle is expected to peak at more than 2412 in 2024, according to S&P Global Mobility forecast.

General Motors (GM) joined hands with Adobe to deliver one-to-one personalized interactions at scale for millions of its customers through Adobe Experience Cloud. As GM inches closer to its goal of growing capacity to 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) annually by 2025, the ability to personalize each customer interaction will be critical to educating consumers on EV benefits, then guiding them through buying and post-purchase journeys.  GM will use applications running on top of Exp...

Buick has unveiled the model year 2022 Enclave sport utility vehicle (SUV) with a restyled center console with push-button Electronic Transmission Range select, according to a company press release dated 6 March. It also features premium soft-touch materials throughout the cabin with heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats. “The 2022 Buick Enclave’s enhancements elevate the design and driving experience that premium SUV customers have come to expect and appreciate. After nearly 15 y...

General Motors (GM) is planning to manufacture new Ultium electric drive units at its St. Catharines Propulsion Plant in Ontario, Canada, the company announced in a press release on 20 February. The new investment into the plant would be expected to support around 500 jobs at the St. Catharines facility and enable the production of more than 400,000 EV drive units a year. “This is a time of historic transformation for our industry and with this significant investment, St. Catharines will pl...

To improve incident response outcomes to benefit OnStar members and emergency responders, General Motors Emergency Advisors started using RapidDeploy Radius Mapping technology. OnStar uses RapidDeploy's platform to help synthesize telematics data in a map-based format to provide timely and clear situational awareness for the wide range of services OnStar Emergency Advisors perform for customers who have consented to receive those services. Key features of Radius Mapping technology includ...

In 2021, GM launched the “Everybody In” campaign, demonstrating the company’s intent to lead an all-electric future, and invited others to join the movement. GM said it is electrifying the automotive industry, engineering electric vehicles (EVs) with purpose-built, ground-up design, powered by the Ultium Platform, enabling EVs for everyone. In a press release dated 2 February, the automaker announced that the streaming service is now joining the movement and will increase the prese...

US automaker General Motors is evaluating the use of cylindrical batteries over the pouch batteries in its electric vehicles (EVs), according to a news report published by the Korean publication THE ELEC on 25 January 2023. The report cited anonymous sources aware of the new developments at GM. It added that GM’s new battery plans has brought about talks with LG Energy Solution (LGES) over the planned construction of the fourth battery plant by Ultium Cells, a JV between GM and LGES, to be ...