GM Picks Up Another Major EV Seat Supplier.

GM Authority recently reported that General Motors secured a deal with seat manufacturer Lear Corp. to produce seats for GM EVs built at the GM Factory Zero plant in Michigan. Now, The General has signed another deal for even more seats, this time with Magna Seating. According to a report from Crain’s Detroit Business, Magna Seating is planning to build a 300,000 square-foot manufacturing facility near the GM Orion plant in Michigan. The $100 million plant will be built on 40 acres at 1700 Brown Rd., and will create 500 new jobs – all of which will be represented by the UAW. Magna Seating confirmed that this investment was spurred by new business contracts with General Motors.

“We are working with the city of Auburn Hills and the State of Michigan on a potential new facility that would ultimately supply GM’s Lake Orion Assembly Plant and Factory Zero,” said Magna Seating spokeswoman Tracy Fuerst. Magna Seating went on to confirm that it will be sole supplier of seats to all electric vehicles built at the Orion plant. Construction of the new manufacturing facility is expected to kick off in July 2023, and be completed by November 2024.

As a reminder, GM is investing $4 billion USD into the Orion Assembly plant in order to adapt the facility for production of the upcoming Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV pickup trucks. Upon its completion, the Orion plant will become GM’s third facility capable of mass-producing electric vehicles utilizing the Ultium battery and Ultium Drive motor technologies. Notably, the Factory Zero plant is currently in operation and produces the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and GMC Hummer EV SUV, while the GM Spring Hill plant in Tennessee is schedule to complete its renovations later this year.