Magna expands EV component production in the USA
The automotive supplier Magna International is investing more than 500 million US dollars in two new production sites and the expansion of an existing plant in the US state of Michigan. An important customer for the eMobility components is General Motors.
The company is expanding its plant in St. Clair (battery housing) and opening new plants in Shelby Township (powertrain) and Detroit (seats). Magna Electric Vehicle Structures’ St. Clair plant opened in 2021 and currently supplies steel battery cases “to a global automaker,” according to the latest announcement.
In 2021, the supplier was even more vocal when it came to its battery housing customer. A memo at the time said it was building the battery cases for the GMC Hummer EV. Since General Motors has not only ramped up production of the Hummer EV, but has announced two more electric pickup trucks based on the Ultium platform, the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the GMC Sierra EV (both of which are also built in Michigan), the demand for battery cases is naturally increasing. Magna says it expects the expansion, which is expected to create 920 new jobs, to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The new plant in Shelby Township will produce battery support components for a global automaker’s electric vehicles and is expected to come on line in March 2023 with more than 155 employees. It is not known if this will also be GM and electric pickup production.
Together with the new Detroit plant for seat frames and trim and foam assemblies, Magna plans to create more than 1,500 new jobs in Michigan. “With our unmatched capabilities across our product areas, we continue to work with our customers to help them meet their mobility needs,” said Eric Wilds, chief marketing and sales officer. “We are excited to be able to bring new business, more investment and additional jobs to Michigan and we thank the state for its support.”
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