HARRISBURG (TNS) — After about 60 years, General Motors is discontinuing a Chevrolet model that was once among its most popular.
The company also confirmed that this discontinuation will result in the layoffs of hundreds of employees.
According to Taste of Country, the Chevy Malibu sedan — a car so beloved by the masses that it was once the go-to choice for police departments — will no longer be produced by the car brand as it begins to shift to electric vehicles (EVs).
A May article published by The Drive explained how General Motors made the move to suspend making the Malibu — despite sales doing relatively well — in order to make changes to the GM Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas, that makes the sedan.
The Detroit Free Press reports that 680 employees will be laid off at the plant during this time. The layoffs will begin Nov. 18.
“As previously announced, GM is investing approximately $390 million in our Fairfax Assembly Plant for product of the new, Ultim-based Chevrolet Bolt EV to deliver one of the most affordable all-electric vehicles with an improved driving, charging and ownership experience,” reads a GM statement. “To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025.
“This will result in a layoff until production resumes for affected employees. Affected employees will be supported according to the provisions of the UAW-GM agreement. When production resumes in late 2025, Fairfax will produce both the Bolt EV and Xt4 on the same assembly line, which gives GM flexibility to respond to changes in customer demand.”
