A planned U$45m investment has been announced by General Motors (GM) that will see the OEM expand its Bedford, Indiana, facility to increase the production capacity of electric vehicle drive unit castings. The expansion decisions were made to support an anticipated demand for Chevrolet Silverado EV and the GMC Sierra EV full-size pickup truck models. Expansion work at the site will start immediately.
The 1,000,000ft2 site has 680 employees who are responsible for managing the die casting processes which produce cylinder blocks, transmission cases, structural components and drive unit housings for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.
Back in December 2021, the vehicle manufacturer invested over U$51m at the Bedford site to install new, advanced equipment that supports the production of drive unit castings for Chevrolet Silverado EVs and other casting applications. In 2021, the facility started to produce electric drive unit castings for the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup.
GM has invested over U$456m in Bedford Casting Operations since 2011.
“Our Bedford operation is one of the leading aluminum die casting facilities in the world and this additional investment is really an investment in the Bedford team and their commitment to excellence,” said Phil Kienle, GM vice president of North America manufacturing and labor relations. “This investment helps build job security for our Bedford team for years to come as we continue to prepare our entire manufacturing footprint for an all-electric future.”
“Since 2011, General Motors has invested more than U$456m into the Bedford operations, and their additional investment in Bedford’s economy and workforce further demonstrates their commitment to and understanding of our community’s values and strengths,” said Sam Craig, Bedford mayor. “We are grateful they continue to choose Bedford as they enter their era of EV production, keeping our workforce and community part of their company’s mission. We are proud to partner with GM in their goals toward an electric future.”
