GM’s Lansing Plant Faces 18-Month Gap, 350 Layoffs
Workers face January 2027 layoffs as the automaker abandons its $1.25 billion EV retooling plan for the Michigan factory.
General Motors will temporarily lay off roughly 350 workers at its Lansing Grand River Assembly and Lansing Regional Stamping facilities starting Jan. 14, 2027, as the automaker halts production of the Cadillac CT5 for at least 18 months. The shutdown leaves GM’s only remaining Michigan assembly plant without a scheduled vehicle to build until the second half of 2028.
Current-generation CT5 output ends in December 2026. It is the sole model still rolling off the line following the discontinuation of the Cadillac CT4 and Chevrolet Camaro. GM has not confirmed whether the factory will remain open during the gap or go completely dark, according to GM Authority. Workers facing displacement may transfer to other GM plants or receive supplemental unemployment benefits covering 74% of their hourly wages.
The 18-month void stems directly from a strategic reversal. In 2023, GM committed $1.25 billion to retool the Lansing facility for electric vehicle production. Slowing EV demand forced the company to pivot back to internal combustion, confirming the next-generation CT5 would return with a gasoline engine. That decision bought time but left a massive scheduling hole on the factory floor.
Equipment testing and manufacturing preparations for future models could occupy some of the downtime. Honda kept its Marysville, Ohio, plant running gasoline and hybrid vehicles throughout extensive 2024 retooling for EVs, proving that assembly lines can operate during major transitions.
Three vehicles are slated to eventually fill the Lansing floor. The next-gen CT5, a rumored new Buick sedan, and a potential four-door Chevy Camaro revival are all expected to ride on GM’s updated Alpha 2-2 platform. Sharing architecture across three distinct nameplates would allow the automaker to spread development and manufacturing costs.
Whether all three materialize remains an open question. The extended pause gives GM executives room to reassess which models actually belong in Lansing based on consumer shifts between gasoline-powered, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
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