Production of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in Canada may cease
Canada’s automotive industry appears to be facing another blow: production of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at the Oshawa plant is expected to end by the end of this year. This facility, which opened back in 1953, also produces heavy-duty versions of pickup trucks.
New generation pickup not for Canada
The company recently unveiled the updated 2027 Chevrolet Silverado, and according to preliminary data, it will not be produced in Canada. This is not surprising, as the automaker is preparing the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan for the production of gasoline-powered light trucks and full-size SUVs.
By the way: The new 2027 Silverado received two completely new V8 engines, while the industry is actively shifting towards turbo motors.
The Orion Assembly plant had been idled for several years, as GM stopped producing the Bolt in 2023 and planned to convert the site into a hub for manufacturing electric Silverado and Sierra models. Initially, production of these models was slated to start in 2024, but it was postponed to late 2025 to “better manage capital investments and align with changing EV demand.” However, sales turned out to be significantly lower than the company expected, so a second plant for electric vehicles was not needed, and it was repurposed for gasoline models.
Future of the Oshawa plant
As for Oshawa, analysts from AutoForecast Solutions predict the plant will continue producing the Silverado 2500 and 3500. If this happens, the facility could be reduced to operating only one shift.
According to Auto News Canada, the Unifor Local 222 union is “extremely concerned” about this prospect. Local union president Jeff Gray told the publication they have still not received any information about whether they will produce the updated 1500 model. This does not bode well, especially given that the new pickup has already been officially unveiled.
GM investments and plans
Despite the bleak outlook, GM earlier this year announced investments of 63 million Canadian dollars ($44.5 million USD) in the Oshawa plant to produce next-generation trucks. At that time, the company specifically mentioned the production of “gasoline-powered full-size pickups,” as well as an expansion of its parts business. Furthermore, they noted that this plant is the only one in North America where both light and heavy-duty models are built on a single assembly line.
If the plant switches exclusively to producing heavy-duty versions, it will likely continue making the current generation for a few more years. Then, a transition to the updated model, expected in 2029, would take place.
Thus, the Canadian auto industry is losing yet another important model, and workers at the Oshawa plant find themselves in a precarious position. Although GM continues to invest in the facility, the focus is shifting to heavy-duty truck production, which could lead to job cuts. This decision reflects a broader trend in the automotive industry, where companies are optimizing production capacity, responding to shifting demand, and moving production of popular models closer to major sales markets.