GM adds sixth day at Michigan plant to boost heavy-duty truck output

An American flag flies in front of the General Motors, Global Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

General Motors will increase production of its heavy-duty trucks in Michigan to meet strong demand for gas-powered pickups despite higher fuel prices.

The Flint Assembly plant will operate six days a week, up from five, starting in June.

GM told Reuters it was making strategic adjustments to its Flint Assembly’s production schedule to align with stronger demand.

The Detroit automaker sold about 320,000 heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra pickups in the United States last year.

The boost comes at a time when fuel prices have drastically increased after the Middle East conflict and vehicle prices are hovering around the $50,000 mark.

GM, like other global automakers, has also been increasing production in the U.S. to avoid a hit from tariffs.

The Flint Assembly plant in Michigan, which opened in 1947, is one of GM’s core truck plants and builds its profitable Silverado and Sierra heavy-duty pickups.

Last month GM’s finance chief Paul Jacobson also said that the company had not seen a significant shift in sales following gas price increases after the war in Iran.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Tasim Zahid)