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GM Invests $51 Million to Support Drive Unit Castings for the Chevrolet Silverado EV

Let’s be frank here for a moment. The Hummer and Lyriq aren’t within the reach of many, which is why GM intends to launch the Silverado EV for the 2023 model year. To be manufactured in Michigan at Factory Zero, the half-ton workhorse will share the BEV3 platform with the Hummer.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado EV teaser 41 photos
Photo: Chevrolet
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The drive unit castings for the all-electric pickup will be produced at the Indiana-based Bedford Aluminum Casting Facility following an investment of $51 million. According to General Motors, the renovation work has already begun at the one million-square-foot site. At the present moment, Bedford makes the drive unit castings for the Hummer EV and SUV.

“Our Bedford operation is one of the leading aluminum die casting facilities in the world and this investment is a testament of our confidence in the employees at Bedford," declared Phil Kienle, vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations at GM. "This investment is another example of the company bringing along our workforce in our journey to an electric future while we strengthen our current products."

Opened in 1942 and represented by UAW Local 440, the die casting foundry has previously received $37 million in 2016 as well as $127.4 million in 2015. The site currently employs approximately 900 workers.

Turning our attention back to Chevrolet’s second all-electric pickup truck after the S-10 EV from the late 1990s, the Silverado EV promises more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) of driving range on a single charge. General Motors is most likely referring to the highest-capacity battery on offer and a dual-motor drivetrain instead of the Hummer EV’s three-motor layout.

So far, we know the Ultium battery lineup ranges from 50 to 200 kWh. The Hummer EV Edition 1 promises 329 miles (520 kilometers) from the 200-kWh pack, which makes the aforementioned estimate optimistic.

Even if General Motors won’t hit the 400-mile target, it’s obvious the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit intends to outperform the Ford F-150 Lightning. Including 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of payload, the Blue Oval’s truck is targeting 300 miles (483 kilometers) with the larger pack.
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Editor's note: Gallery includes combustion-engined Silverado 1500 photos.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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