autoevolution
 

GMC Hummer EV Production To Pause in November Until the End of the Year

General Motors plans to upgrade its Factory Zero toward the end of this year, and the GMC Hummer EV appears to have drawn the shorter stick. The mammoth electric pickup truck, already way behind schedule, would see production stopped in November, presumably until the year’s end.
GMC Hummer EV production to pause in November 7 photos
Photo: GM
GM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck AssemblyGM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck AssemblyGM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck AssemblyGM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck AssemblyGM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck AssemblyGM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly
The production halt is necessary for GM to complete the upgrades that would allow Factory Zero to cope with the massive electric vehicle push planned for 2023. This includes upgrades to the body shop and other steps required to increase production. GM has received 170,000 reservations for the Chevrolet Silverado EV and 90,000 for the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV. According to GM, most of those reservations are converted into orders, so the legacy automaker is fully booked for electric vehicles.

The production is scheduled to halt in late November,” and the pause should last “several weeks,” which means that no GMC Hummer EV will be assembled until the end of 2022. GM intends to introduce additional production shifts next year to ramp up the GMC Hummer EV. The future EV launches, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Chevrolet Blazer EV (summer), and Chevrolet Equinox EV (fall), will proceed as scheduled.

In the meantime, GM expects Cadillac Lyriq production to increase in the fourth quarter. We already know that General Motors is prioritizing the Cadillac EV over the Hummer because of the higher margins on the premium electric crossover. While the GMC Hummer production has been trimmed to less than 50 units in July, Lyriq’s output has steadily increased since its launch to reach 250 units in the same month.

GMC Hummer EV’s output is so small that GM had to stop accepting new reservations in September. Even if GMC doubles its best production result in 2022 (400 units in May), it would need more than nine years to clear the backlog. And the Chevrolet Silverado EV, expected to enter production next year, would only add to GM’s headaches. Not to mention that it would launch into a market that already has three electric pickups competing for customers. That is unless Tesla surprises everyone and starts Cybertruck production by then.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories