The Chevy Volt production line at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck facility will soon be getting a second shift, and 1200 new jobs are set to be added, according to recent reports.
The assembly line in question is actually responsible for 5 different models — the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid (PHEV), the Cadillac ELR, and 3 others. According to GM, the second shift is a necessity in order to meet growing (forecasted) demand for the 5 models in question.
The 1200 new hires will bring the number of employees at the facility up to 2800. It’s currently expected that this process will be completed by early 2016.
Electrek provides more information:
GM started the production of the 2016 version of the Volt, which now has a range of 53 miles on its new battery pack — a 39% increase versus the previous generation. The 2016 Volt is limited only to CARB states and Canada, but the model will be short-lived and the 2017 will come sooner than anticipated to be available nationwide.
GM spokesman Mike Albano said the 2017 Volt should arrive “early this spring”. He confirmed the 2017 will include several new features and declined to revealed any, but he said they are unrelated to the car’s drivetrain. The company seems to think that the strategy should be enough to increase demand for their flagship plug-in hybrid hence the second shift at the assembly plant. Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly is a 4.1 million sq-ft plant built in 1985.
Good news for Chevy Volt lovers. Hopefully this means that those wanting to purchase a new one — that don’t live in California, Oregon, etc — won’t have to wait as long in the future as they are now waiting for the 2016 model.