General Motors will increase production at its Flint Assembly plant in Michigan by running the facility six days a week from June, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
The move comes as demand remains strong for the company’s heavy-duty pickup trucks, even as petrol and diesel prices rise.
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Flint Assembly currently operates around the clock on three shifts, five days a week. The added day is expected to lift output of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty models.
A United Auto Workers official told the WSJ that the plant builds the 2500 and 3500 variants, with about 1,100 vehicles produced per day.
“General Motors is making strategic adjustments to Flint Assembly’s production schedule to align with strong customer demand,” a General Motors spokesman told the WSJ.
General Motors also makes the heavy-duty Silverado at a plant in Ontario, Canada. The publication said the company has been leaning more on US factories since automotive tariffs were introduced a year ago.
A General Motors spokesman said the increased output in Flint will not change production levels at the Canadian facility.
Flint Assembly began operating in 1947 and is General Motors’ longest-running assembly site in North America. It employs about 4,200 hourly workers, who will be required to work overtime to cover the additional day.
General Motors’ heavy-duty pickups are sold to business customers, including construction companies, as well as private buyers. Prices start in the $50,000 range and can reach six figures with added options.
US petrol prices are up by about a third since the Iran conflict began in late February. Dealers and auto executives told the WSJ they have seen little shift in demand tied to fuel concerns.
Earlier this month, General Motors finance chief Paul Jacobson said demand is exceeding supply for larger vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade and some full-size trucks.
“If you look at the historical models, usually it takes four to six months of sustained, high oil prices before people start to think, ‘Well, maybe I should go for less mileage or maybe I should buy down,’” Jacobson said.
