GM to Close Brownstown Battery Plant Near Detroit as Lease Ends, Not Due to EV Strategy Shift

General Motors will close its Brownstown Battery Assembly Plant south of Detroit, a spokesperson confirmed, saying the decision stems from the leased site's expiring lease rather than any change to GM's electric vehicle strategy. The plant assembled battery packs for the Cadillac Celestiq and produced electric drive units and battery packs for the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray plug-in hybrid. Automotive News first reported the closure. Affected employees and work will shift to other GM facilities, though the company declined to identify them. GM's electrification push has faced headwinds since federal law repealed EV production and sales incentives. The automaker has scaled back public EV commentary while continuing to build models including the Chevrolet Silverado EV and a limited-run Chevrolet Bolt, and to research lithium-manganese-rich and sodium-ion chemistries. GM is also rolling out a $900 million facility to speed commercialization.