General Motors delays production of electric trucks by one year, denies any connection to the automotive industry strike.

General Motors' plan to introduce its all-electric trucks has been delayed, but the American automotive giant denies any connection to the recent auto industry strike.

On Tuesday, October 17th, General Motors announced a revised production schedule, pushing back the production of electric trucks at its Orion Assembly plant in the Detroit suburbs of Michigan to the end of 2025, at least a year later than previously planned.

General Motors stated that the production delay is to "better manage capital investments and meet the evolving demand for electric vehicles (EVs)." Additionally, the company will focus on engineering improvements to enhance the profitability of the new EVs.

A spokesperson for General Motors stated that the production delay is unrelated to the ongoing negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW), the largest automotive industry union in the United States. However, media reports suggest that the labor negotiations do involve EVs, and the proposed wage increases by General Motors are expected to increase the company's costs.

Media outlets also question whether General Motors can achieve its previously announced EV goals, including the production of 400,000 EVs in North America from last year to mid-next year, which has already been delayed by six months.

Wall Street CN previously reported that on September 15th, the UAW initiated strikes against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. This was the first time in UAW history that strikes were simultaneously launched against the three major automakers, and it was one of the most powerful strike waves in the United States in recent years. The initial strikes involved three factories, accounting for 9% of North American automotive production, with approximately 13,000 workers participating. By early October, the number of striking workers had increased to over 20,000.

In early October, General Motors disclosed that the strikes had cost the company $200 million in the third quarter. To prepare for the possibility of the strikes lasting for several months, General Motors secured an additional $6 billion in credit.

General Motors also announced that its third-quarter sales in the United States increased by a staggering 21% compared to the same period last year, indicating that it was not significantly affected by the strikes. However, Jonathan Smoke, the Chief Economist at automotive research firm Cox Automotive, pointed out that the impact of the strikes on certain General Motors vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups, may become evident in October, as the work stoppages have already affected production.