General Motors (GM) is investing $154 million to its factory in Lockport. Renovations will begin immediately at the facility and equipment will be brought in to manufacture components for electric engines.
GM plans to hire roughly 230 new union employees between 2023 and 2026, according to the NY State of Politics blog. The current 1,300 United Auto Workers (UAW) employees will continue to make parts for internal combustion engines for the near future.
GM is hoping to transition to all-electric car manufacturing within 10-15 years. U.S. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer says the federal government supports this effort. Schumer is pushing for Western New York to be one of the centers for the emerging electric vehicle industry.
“Electric cars are going to be the future, but the mistakes that were made in the past where we let other countries take over, where we let non-union jobs take over, should not happen,” said Schumer.
GM plans to release its first electric truck next year.
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