General Motors has announced the layoff of nearly 1,700 workers at its manufacturing plants in Michigan and Ohio, citing a slowdown in demand for electric vehicles. The company confirmed that around 1,200 employees were let go from its electric vehicle plant in Detroit, while another 550 workers lost their jobs at the Ultium Cells battery plant in Ohio.
In addition to those job cuts, General Motors also issued 850 temporary layoffs at the Ohio facility and another 700 at the Ultium Cells plant in Tennessee. "In response to slower near-term EV adoption and an evolving regulatory environment, General Motors is realigning EV capacity," the automobile giant said in a statement.
Bloodbath at General Motors
"Despite these changes, GM remains committed to our U.S. manufacturing footprint, and we believe our investments and dedication to flexible operations will make GM more resilient and capable of leading through change," the statement added.
General Motors announced that it will temporarily halt battery cell production at its Ohio and Tennessee plants starting in January, with plans to resume operations by mid-2026 after upgrading the facilities.
The company also confirmed to the Daily Mail on Tuesday that it will cut 300 jobs and close its tech hub in Georgia. This news came shortly after GM issued another 200 pink slips at its technical center in Warren, Michigan.
Additionally, GM recently stopped production at its Canadian factories that built the BrightDrop electric delivery van, putting 950 employees on temporary leave.
These layoffs are part of a larger trend among major corporations cutting white-collar jobs across the U.S.
GM's Georgia tech hub, which opened in 2013 to develop in-car software and manage dealership data, once employed about 900 people. The automaker said that current staff will either be offered roles at other U.S. IT centers or allowed to work remotely.
A GM spokesperson said that the latest cuts aren't directly related to artificial intelligence replacing human workers. The company plans to list the Georgia facility for sale next month.
Layoffs Despite Soaring Sales
The layoffs come at a time when GM's sales are booming. Last week, the automaker reported an 8% jump in sales compared to the same quarter last year — including a massive 105% surge in electric vehicle sales.
GM's stock has also climbed more than 46% in the past six months, with a 13% boost since September.
GM and its longtime rival Ford have both been enjoying a strong comeback on Wall Street since April — a sharp turnaround from earlier this year, when their stock prices plunged after President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on cars and aluminum.
Investors have been optimistic about GM's future, especially its use of AI in manufacturing. The company has been rolling out advanced "co-bots" — robots designed to work alongside humans on the factory floor — and unveiling new tech-driven vehicle features.
At a recent press event, GM showed off several upcoming innovations, including a new "eyes-off" self-driving system.
However, not all customers are thrilled. Many drivers have pushed back after learning that GM's next-generation vehicles will no longer support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto — two popular systems that mirror a phone's interface on a car's dashboard, allowing easy and safe access to apps like Google Maps, Messages, and Spotify.
Those features are so popular that, according to a July study by AutoPacific, more than 60% of car shoppers say they wouldn't buy a vehicle without them.
