General Motors to lay off 1,700 in Michigan, Ohio, citing low EV adoption

General Motors Co. plans to lay off 1,700 workers at its EV and battery factories in Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. According to The Detroit News, which broke the story, the job cuts include 1,200 workers at GM’s electric-vehicle plant in Detroit and 550 jobs at its Lordstown, Ohio Ultium Cells battery plant; 850 more workers in Lordstown and 700 in Ultium’s Tennessee plant will face temporary layoffs in January as the company pauses battery cell production.

According to a company statement, GM blames the cuts on slower-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles. It also lands shortly after federal tax credits offered to new EV purchasers expired at the end of September.

“In response to slower near-term EV adoption and an evolving regulatory environment, General Motors is realigning EV capacity,” the statement read. It added that the company “remains committed to our U.S. manufacturing output.”

At press time, the United Auto Workers have not responded to a Plant Services request for comment.

The EV production cuts follow additional downsizing in other parts of the company. The Detroit-based automaker recently confirmed to local news in Georgia that it would shutter an area IT center and lay off about 325 local IT employees, giving others the chance to move elsewhere or work remotely. In a statement to WSB-TV Atlanta, General Motors said the company aims to unify its IT teams in “targeted hubs for better collaboration.”

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