GM Spends $280 Million for Next-Gen Pickups in Oshawa
General Motors this week announced an investment of more than $1.3 billion in two Michigan plants to build the next generation of ICE-powered full-size pickups.
Oshawa Assembly in Ontario has not been overlooked, mind you. The plant will receive $280 millions, also for future trucks. Since 2020, the automaker has spent nearly $1.5 billion in Oshawa.
- Also: GM’s Oshawa Plant Now Working on Three Shifts to Meet Pickup Demand
- Also: Chevy Adds Silverado HD ZR2 and ZR2 Bison to Refreshed 2024 Lineup
Right now, the factory exclusively builds Chevrolet Silverado pickups and leaves the GMC Sierra to U.S. factories. However, it’s the only GM plant where light-duty Silverado 1500 and heavy-duty Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models share the same assembly line.
In order to meet strong demand for full-size pickups, GM added a third shift in late July 2022, meaning the plant is operating 24 hours a day. Remember, production in Oshawa resumed in November 2021 following a one-year hiatus.
Interestingly, the automaker hired and trained 1,800 new workers with a focus on diversity and gender equality. As a result, for the first time in the plant’s history, over half of Oshawa’s new production hires are women.
The current Silverado 1500 dates back to 2019 and benefited from a major refresh for 2022, including a significantly updated cabin, increased torque for the turbocharged 2.7-litre four-cylinder engine and a rugged new ZR2 model (followed by the ZR2 Bison a year later). The next generation is expected to debut for 2025.
As for the Silverado HD, which launched four years ago, several changes are in store for 2024 including exterior and interior revisions, new technologies and an upgraded 6.6-litre Duramax V8 with more power and torque. Just like its light-duty sibling, it’s now available in ZR2 and ZR2 Bison packages. A complete redesign should be ready for 2026.
