General Motors is proposing to build an electric vehicle parts plant for $200 million that will generate 1,000 jobs to support the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV. The proposed site is 87.3 acres where the Detroit Pistons’ former arena was demolished in 2020. The plant will comprise 1.05 million square feet of EV parts assembly and distribution space, and 50,000 square feet of office space. The nearby Orion Assembly plant will receive the EV parts and undergo a $4 billion transformation to build electric pickups starting in 2024. The plant will operate with around 350 workers per shift, with construction starting in July and scheduled for completion by November 2024. The city of Auburn Hills, Mich., will review the proposal next week.
General Motors will begin production of the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV at the Factory Zero in Detroit this year, followed by the Orion plant in 2024. The two plants will have the capacity to manufacture up to 600,000 electric pickups yearly. GM is considering the former Palace of Auburn Hills site as a potential supplier park to support the Orion Assembly Plant. Production of the Bolt will end in 2023, and the Orion plant is expected to triple its employment once it reopens for pickup production. Pistons owner Tom Gores purchased the Auburn Hills site in 2019, and the Pistons played there until 2017.
