GM cuts thousands of EV and battery factory workers

General Motors is implementing significant layoffs across its electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing operations in the U.S., affecting thousands of workers. Approximately 1,200 employees at GM’s EV plant in Detroit have been placed on indefinite layoff. Additional cuts and temporary layoffs are occurring at the company’s Ultium Cells battery factories in Ohio and Tennessee, which are scheduled to be idled starting January 5, with production expected to resume in mid-2026. These workforce reductions follow recent layoffs among GM’s white-collar staff and a reported $1.6 billion financial impact as the company revises its EV strategy. GM has also discontinued its BrightDrop commercial electric van program. The broader industry, including GM and its competitors, is scaling back EV efforts in the U.S. due to the expiration of federal tax credits and relaxed regulations on internal combustion engine vehicles.