DETROIT — General Motors said Monday it will spend $700 million at eight Michigan facilities to get its new rechargeable electric car road-ready — a technological and economic boost for its home state.
GM officials detailed their investment plans for the Chevrolet Volt on the floor of its assembly plant that straddles the border between Detroit and tiny Hamtramck. The plant, which will begin mass producing the Volt in late 2010, is getting a $336 million upgrade that includes new machinery and other equipment.
The state of Michigan last year approved $135.2 million in tax incentives for those sites and others.
In a year that GM and Chrysler endured bankruptcy protection and announced the closure of nearly 30 plants in the U.S. and Canada, the news was as much a relief as celebration for the politicians and workers who attended the news conference.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm approached the stage from behind the wheel of a preproduction version of the Volt. She said mass production of the vehicle is “exactly in our sweet spot” as a state, which has suffered the nation’s highest unemployment rate for months alongside the struggles of its largest industry.
