GM Canada invests in manufacturing electric drive units at St. Catherines propulsion plant
by CM Staff
This investment plan would be expected to support around 500 jobs at the St. Catharines facility and enable the production of more than 400,000 EV drive units a year.
Ontario workforce that, subject to completing support agreements with federal and Ontario government partners, the company plans to invest at the plant to manufacture new Ultium electric drive motors for GM’s fast growing electric vehicle lineup.
Pictured:
GM Global Manufacturing and Sustainability congratulates the team at St. Catharines Propulsion Plant.
Photo Credit: Ann Power
ST. CATHARINES — General Motors on Feb. 20, informed its St. Catharines, Ontario workforce that, subject to completing support agreements with federal and Ontario government partners, the company plans to invest at the plant to manufacture new Ultium electric drive units for GM’s fast growing electric vehicle lineup. This investment plan would be expected to support around 500 jobs at the St. Catharines facility and enable the production of more than 400,000 EV drive units a year.
“This is a time of historic transformation for our industry and with this significant investment, St. Catharines will play a critical role in our EV future,” said Marissa West, president and managing director of GM Canada. “The St. Catharines team produces engines and transmissions for many of GM’s most popular vehicles, including full size trucks, SUVs and Corvette and we are very excited to announce our plans to supply critical drive units as well. This will support GM’s plans to build 1 million electric vehicles a year in North America by 2025.”
“The skill and dedication of Unifor members makes Canada the clear choice to build electric vehicle propulsion systems,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This historic investment secures GM St. Catharines’ place in an EV future and protects hundreds of good paying jobs.”
The drive units built at St. Catharines will be used in vehicles built on GM’s flexible EV architecture, called Ultium.
The new St. Catharines investment builds upon other recent GM Canada investments including a C$28 million Renewable Energy Cogeneration project at St. Catharines; expansion of GM’s Canadian Technology Centre in Oshawa and Markham, Ontario, including a new 55-acre CTC McLaughlin Advanced Technology Track and the recent reopening and return to three shifts of pickup production at Oshawa Assembly.
GM Canada is engaged with the Ontario and federal governments and expects to complete discussions later this year.
