Manoli Katakis 
After announcing a $1 billion USD investment into its Flint, Michigan Assembly plant for its next-generation Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks, General Motors has declared two more major plant investments for its future truck and SUV lineup. The first is a $500+ million USD investment into its Arlington Assembly facility in Texas, while the second is a $632 million USD investment for the Fort Wayne Assembly plant in Indiana. Both investments are for future internal combustion engine (ICE) full-size trucks and SUVs.
The Fort Wayne investment will support new conveyors, tooling and equipment in the plant’s body and general assembly areas. Just the same, the Arlington investment also supports new tooling and equipment in its stamping, body shop and general assembly areas.
GM’s U.S. manufacturing and parts distribution investments now amount to more than $31.6 billion USD since 2013. Nearly the annual GDP of Estonia. In a press release, the investments were described as highlighting “the company’s commitment to continue providing customers a strong portfolio of ICE vehicles for years to come.”
Hey, whatever happened to “An All Electric Future?” *shrugs*
Next-Generation GM Trucks And SUVs: What To Expect
GM wouldn’t disclose timing of the future products related to the investment, but they tend to trail announcements such as these by 3-4 years. For instance, GM previously earmarked $1.4 billion USD into Arlington Assembly back in July 2015 for the next-gen Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, which didn’t officially debut until December 2019 and January 2020.
Therefore, it stands to reason that the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon are all expected to officially debut until at least 2026 or 2027, 3-4 years from now.
General Motors have already earmarked $854 million USD back in January 2023 for next-generation Gen VI Small Block V8 production, which will undoubtedly power these future trucks and SUVs. Since 2013, GM has put nearly $2 billion into Arlington Assembly, and roughly the same amount into Fort Wayne. Both plants are essential to the viability of General Motors, as they build some of the company’s most profitable and in-demand products.
General Motors Arlington Assembly: The Only Plant That Builds The Chevrolet Tahoe & Suburban, GMC Yukon, And Cadillac Escalade
Arlington Assembly is GM’s golden goose, responsible for its entire portfolio of full-size SUVs: Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade-V. GM has gone 48 straight years dominating the full-size SUV segment in the United States.
GM Fort Wayne Assembly: The Truck Plant That Builds The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 And GMC Sierra 1500 In The USA
Fort Wayne Assembly is the only facility in the United States that builds the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. GM also builds trucks in the Silao, Mexico plant and the Oshawa, Canada plant. Managing supply chain issues better than the competition, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado was able to secure the title as the USA’s best-selling retail full-size light-duty pickup in 2022.
