GM to End Light-Duty Silverado Production in Oshawa, Invests $144 Million in Heavy-Duty Trucks
General Motors will halt production of the light-duty Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at its Oshawa, Ontario plant in November. To maintain employment levels and two shifts, the automaker is investing $144 million to add GMC Sierra HD production by late 2028, amid ongoing U.S.-Canada trade tensions affecting Ontario's auto sector.
General Motors has confirmed it will end production of the light-duty Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at its Oshawa, Ontario plant in November. The decision follows collective bargaining talks with Unifor Local 222, which represents approximately 1,800 workers at the factory.
To offset the loss of the light-duty model, GM announced a $144-million investment to produce the GMC Sierra HD in Oshawa. While a GM spokesperson declined to specify when output will begin, Unifor president Jeff Gray stated the heavy-duty truck will be produced by late 2028. Sam Fiorani expects GMC Sierra output to reach about 40,000 units in the first year of production.
Despite the end of Silverado 1500 manufacturing, employment levels at the Oshawa plant will remain unchanged, and the facility will continue operating on two shifts. Total production at the plant in 2026 is expected to be 114,000 trucks, split between light- and heavy-duty Silverado models. GM had previously eliminated one shift—about 500 jobs—in Oshawa while increasing Silverado 1500 production in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The transition occurs during significant trade tensions between the United States and Canada. The U.S. has imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on the non-U.S. content of Canadian-made cars, scheduled to rise to 50 per cent by January 1. About 90 per cent of cars produced at Ontario’s plants are shipped to the U.S., leaving the province's auto sector heavily exposed to these measures. Other impacts across the region include the idling of GM's electric van plant in Ingersoll and Stellantis NV holding talks to sell its Brampton factory.
Other automakers are also making substantial investments in Ontario. Ford Motor Co. recently announced investments of US$500-million at its engine factory in Essex, Ont., and US$400-million at its Super Duty pick-up assembly plant in Oakville, Ont.