Detroit — General Motors will start making the Cruise Origin autonomous shuttle shortly after it starts making an all-electric pickup at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant late next year.
The company announced the production plan Monday morning as part of its planned $2.2 billion investment in the factory, which had been slated for closure prior to last year’s negotiations with the UAW.
Cruise, based in San Francisco, showed the Origin for the first time last week. But the company’s first autonomous ride-hailing offerings will use the Chevrolet Bolt-based third-generation autonomous vehicle, which still has a steering wheel and brake pedals.
Cruise Origin production will start in late 2022, AutoForecast Solutions told Automotive News on Friday.
The investment will create more than 2,200 jobs. Today, 900 workers are employed on one shift at the plant. Production of an all-electric pickup will begin in late 2021, GM said. GM will also invest $800 million in supplier tooling and other projects related to EV production, according to a statement.
“GM is taking a big step forward in making our vision of an all-electric future a reality,” Mark Reuss, GM president said during a press briefing here.
GM’s $2.3 billion joint venture with LG Chem will supply battery cells for the EVs built at D-Ham.