The beleaguered Canadian automotive industry got another piece of bad news Tuesday as GM announced it’s halting production of its BrightDrop electric delivery van, leaving the future of its CAMI assembly plant — where the BrightDrop was built — up in the air.
“The decision to end production of the BrightDrop electric delivery van is driven by market demand and in no way reflects the commitment and skill of our workforce at CAMI,” said Kristian Aquilina, president and managing director of GM Canada. “This continues to be an uncertain time for our workforce at CAMI, and we are committed to working closely with our employees, Unifor and the Canadian and Ontario governments as we evaluate next steps for the future of CAMI.”
The BrightDrop was the sole vehicle being built in Ingersoll, which previously produced the Equinox SUV. Roughly 1,000 people work at the CAMI plant, in Ingersoll, Ont.
Aquilina insisted in a press release that GM is still committed to Canada.
“Our Canadian operations continue to be a critical part of GM and our North America business,” said Aquilina. “For more than 100 years, GM has been designing, engineering and building vehicles in Canada and we intend to keep doing so.”
The news comes just a week after Stellantis announced it was shifting production of the latest generation of its Jeep Compass from Brampton to Illinois, and two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and his commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said they were coming for Canada’s auto industry.
This is a developing story.
