General Motors (GM) has announced a temporary halt in production of its all-electric Chevy BrightDrop van at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada. The production pause, set to begin on April 14 and last until October 2025, is attributed to slow sales of the commercial EV. The decision is part of GM’s “operational and employment adjustments to balance inventory and align production schedules with current demand.”
Production Pause and Workforce Impact
The temporary cessation of production will result in the indefinite layoff of nearly 500 union factory workers when operations resume on a single shift in October. Unifor National President Lana Payne described the move as “a crushing blow to hundreds of working families” in the region, urging GM and governments to mitigate job losses and support Canadian auto workers.
Sales Performance
GM reported sales of only 274 BrightDrop vans in the first quarter of 2025, a mere 7% increase from the 256 units sold in Q1 2024. Despite the sluggish sales, the BrightDrop remains a competitive option in the EV market due to significant discounts and incentives. Current discounts can reduce the price of the $84,235 BrightDrop 400 eAWD EV to $52,985. Additional utility incentives, such as ComEd’s commercial EV rebates of up to $30,000 per vehicle, can further lower the cost.
Market Context and Future Plans
The production halt comes amid uncertainty in the automotive industry, partly due to threatened tariffs under Donald Trump’s planned automotive policies, although reciprocal tariffs have been paused. During the downtime, GM plans to retool the plant to prepare for the production of the 2026 model year BrightDrop vans. Despite current challenges, the BrightDrop offers an attractive EV deal, especially for Chicago-area fleets looking to electrify their delivery operations.
