LANSING — General Motors will build a battery plant in Lansing, bringing thousands of new jobs and $2.5 billion in new investments. The investment was announced by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Secretary Julie Su’s as they confirmed a loan to Ultium Cells LLC to manufacture electric vehicle batteries in Michigan and across the country.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement praising the jobs coming to Lansing:
“As the state that put the world on wheels, high-tech manufacturing is part of both our past and our future. That’s why we’ve been working hard to outcompete other states for every job and every dollar of investment, so everyone knows Michigan is the place to do business. Today, the Department of Energy announced continued support for GM’s $2.5 billion investment to build Ultium’s third battery cell plant in Lansing, promising 1,700 new jobs. Investing in our workers will help us bring supply chains home and ensure that Michigan is the best place to innovate, design, test, and manufacture the technology of the future.”
The statement went on to explain:
Earlier this year, Governor Whitmer announced GM plans to construct its third U.S. Ultium high-volume battery cell manufacturing facility in the city of Lansing and Delta Township. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $2.5 billion and create 1,700 jobs. Over 20 years, more than $28.8 billion in new personal income is expected to be generated by the direct, indirect, and induced jobs this opportunity will create. In addition, the project has an employment multiplier of 3.8, which means that an additional 2.8 jobs in Michigan’s economy are anticipated to be created for every new direct job, due to the extensive supply chain that exists in Michigan.
In January, GM announced their commitment to build the plant in Lansing. “Today we are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM’s EV leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the U.S., and our North American EV production capacity,” said GM CEO Mary Barra.
Battery plants are a booming industry with new plants being built by automobile companies across the country.
