U.S. Auto Industry Second-Quarter 2020 Kickoffs Highlight Electric Vehicle Project Spending

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Industrial Info is tracking $4.8 billion worth of U.S. automotive industry projects that are set to kick off in the second quarter of 2020, of which more than half -- including the top three spends -- involves projects tied to electric vehicle (EV) production.

General Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM) (Detroit, Michigan) is responsible for far and away the most substantial project set to kick off in the second quarter: a $2.2 billion expansion of its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant -- scheduled to be completed in fourth-quarter 2021 -- so the facility can be devoted to exclusively producing all-electric vehicles. General Motors also is planning two engine project kickoffs for the second quarter: an equipment addition at its manufacturing plant in Romulus, Michigan, and an equipment upgrade at its stamping plant in Parma, Ohio. For more information, see Industrial Info's reports on the Detroit-Hamtramck, Romulus and Parma projects.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) (Detroit, Michigan) is expecting a $700 million equipment addition at its truck assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan, in order to produce fully-electric and hybrid models of its F-150 truck series and accompanying electric battery cells. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Click on the image at right showing U.S. auto industry 2020 kickoffs, by project type.

In another example of the auto industry's burgeoning EV sector, Volkswagen Chattanooga announced on March 4 it intends to hire up to 600 production employees within the next three months at its vehicle assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee -- the company's North American hub for electric vehicle manufacturing. Positions are open in multiple areas of the plant, including body shop, assembly, paint, quality and logistics; the plant currently employs approximately 3,800 individuals. This comes on the heels of a $750 million body shop expansion at the plant, which kicked off in November, to begin producing Volkswagen's new electric crossover concept vehicle. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Startup Lordstown Motors Corporation (Lordstown, Ohio) in December agreed to purchase a plant in Ohio from General Motors. Lordstown is planning a $450 million renovation at the plant in order to produce an all-electric pickup truck, named Endurance, to compete with GM and Ford, among others seeking to enter the electric pickup market. The retool is scheduled to kick off in April with completion in November. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info also is tracking some other big-ticket engine projects that are set to kick off in second-quarter 2020, including two from Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) (Tokyo, Japan) -- a $391 million upgrade at its San Antonio, Texas, truck and SUV assembly campus, which produces 270,000 vehicles per year and a $115 million expansion at its Buffalo, West Virginia, engine and transmission manufacturing plant. For more information, see Industrial Info's reports on the San Antonio and Buffalo projects.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.