General Motors (GM) announced Thursday that it will lay off 680 employees at its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, as it phases out production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan. The layoffs will begin on November 18, following earlier notifications to staff about the upcoming changes.
The move comes as GM invests approximately $390 million into the Fairfax facility to facilitate the production of the new Chevrolet Bolt EV. “To install new tooling, employees will be placed on a temporary layoff until production resumes in mid-2025,” said GM spokesman Kevin Kelly. The affected workers will receive support from the UAW-GM agreement.
The Chevrolet Malibu has a long history, initially launched in 1964 and briefly discontinued in 1983, before being revived in 1997. Over the years, GM sold millions of Malibus, including variants for police use. However, GM announced the end of Malibu production in May to make room for the next generation of Bolt EVs, which CEO Mary Barra indicated would likely debut in 2025.
With the discontinuation of the Malibu, the only remaining gasoline-powered vehicle in Chevrolet’s lineup is the Corvette, following the cessation of Camaro production last year. Earlier this year, GM introduced a hybrid version of the Corvette known as the E-Ray.
In addition to the Malibu, the Fairfax plant currently produces the Cadillac XT4 SUV. However, XT4 production will also pause in January, leading to further temporary layoffs for the remaining workers. Fairfax Assembly has a total workforce of 2,275 employees, and GM plans to resume XT4 production after retooling is complete.
The new Bolt EV will utilize GM’s Ultium propulsion system, while the previous generation was manufactured at the Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township. That facility is currently undergoing retooling to produce the Chevrolet Silverado EV, which is made at Factory Zero in Detroit. Production at Orion is not expected to commence until mid-2026.
It was discontinued. Then GM realized it was their only EV that was selling. So they are bringing it back with the new battery tech.
It remains to be seen if the new version will be affordable (doubtful), or if it will be the original or EUV size. Considering American car manufacturers addiction to giant cars, it will probably be the larger model.