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GM to Move Buick SUV Production From China to Kansas
Automaker Likely to End Chevrolet Bolt EV Production
General Motors Co. plans to move production of its next-generation Buick Envision compact SUV, which is currently built in China, to a plant in Kansas in 2028, a sign of the pressure automakers are under to reshore output of vehicles sold in the U.S.
The Detroit-based manufacturer also said Jan. 22 it will likely end output of its all-electric Chevrolet Bolt that’s built in the same plant in about a year and a half.
GM’s move is a response to policy decisions by President Donald Trump, whose tariffs have made it more expensive to import vehicles from China. At the same time, the Trump administration has eliminated $7,500 tax incentives for electric vehicles, making them less affordable for car buyers.
The Bolt is made at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan., using batteries from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, said a GM spokesman. If the vehicle sells well, the automaker may decide to continue the model, but as it stands the factory would build only the gas-powered Envision and the Chevrolet Equinox. In response to tariffs on Mexican vehicles and parts, GM decided previously it will add production of that vehicle to the Kansas facility in 2027.
The Equinox is GM’s third best seller in the U.S. after its large pickup trucks. Buick sold 42,000 units of the Envision last year, an 11% drop partly caused by the restrictions on trade with China.
