After Trump Calls Them Out, GM Announces $300M Investment in America
General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced on Friday that the corporation will create 400 jobs and invest $300 million in building a new electric car model, Fox News reports.
The announcement comes after a week which saw President Trump openly criticize the corporation’s announcement that it would be closing its Lordstown, Ohio, plant.
After the Lordstown plant closure was released, Trump denounced GM for taking jobs out of America.
Just spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors about the Lordstown Ohio plant. I am not happy that it is closed when everything else in our Country is BOOMING. I asked her to sell it or do something quickly. She blamed the UAW Union — I don’t care, I just want it open!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019
General Motors and the UAW are going to start “talks” in September/October. Why wait, start them now! I want jobs to stay in the U.S.A. and want Lordstown (Ohio), in one of the best economies in our history, opened or sold to a company who will open it up fast! Car companies…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2019
Trump called for GM to reopen the plant, writing on Monday, “Get that big, beautiful plant in Ohio open now. Close a plant in China or Mexico, where you invested so heavily pre-Trump, but not in the U.S.A. Bring jobs home!”
….are all coming back to the U.S. So is everyone else. We now have the best Economy in the World, the envy of all. Get that big, beautiful plant in Ohio open now. Close a plant in China or Mexico, where you invested so heavily pre-Trump, but not in the U.S.A. Bring jobs home!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2019
The president also didn’t shy away from calling out GM or the United Auto Workers, telling its local union leader to “get his act together and produce.”
Democrat UAW Local 1112 President David Green ought to get his act together and produce. G.M. let our Country down, but other much better car companies are coming into the U.S. in droves. I want action on Lordstown fast. Stop complaining and get the job done! 3.8% Unemployment!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019
Now the company says it will invest $300 million in making a Chevrolet vehicle grounded on the underpinnings of the battery-operated Bolt model, the Associated Press reports.
The Bolt model can go an estimated 238 miles on one electric charge, according to the AP.
Fox News reports that the new Bolt derivative was originally set to be manufactured outside of the U.S., but will now be made in the Orion Assembly plant, located north of Detroit, Michigan.
It will be manufactured alongside the original Bolt in a facility which also currently adapts Bolts into autonomous cars in GM’s Cruise division.
AP reports that the company has pledged to introduce 20 new completely electric vehicles around the world by 2023.
GM also reported that it plans to invest another $1.4 billion at U.S. factories and create 300 more jobs. GM did not announce more details or a schedule on these plans.
The American car company also plans to release an electric Cadillac SUV around 2022.
Whether or not the president’s words had any effect on GM’s decision, it’s great to hear an American president advocate so passionately for American job creation.
Good for GM for planning to invest in American workers.
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