General Motors Could End Production of the Silverado 1500 in Oshawa

• This would leave only the HD versions of the Silverado being made at the Canadian plant.

• Analysts believe this would require only one shift instead of the current two.

• GM says the Oshawa plant will produce next-generation pickups, but hasn’t confirmed if this includes both light and heavy-duty models.

Update: General Motors Canada contacted us and provided the following statement regarding this article: “Oshawa Assembly continues to play a key role in GM’s full-size truck lineup, and current employment and shift structure are expected to be retained when the plant transitions to next- generation truck production supported by a C$343 million investment.”

The Canadian automotive industry might be about to face another setback, as analysts from AutoForecast Solutions in the United States believe that General Motors could end production of the light-duty Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at its Oshawa factory by the end of 2026.

Indeed, the automaker might not have the new generation of the Silverado 1500 manufactured at its flagship Canadian plant, relying instead on factories in the United States and Mexico, which already produce the truck.

This would leave only the heavy-duty Silverado 2500 and 3500 rolling down the Oshawa assembly line, significantly cutting the plant’s output and the required number of workers.

Indeed, AutoForecast Solutions believes that only one shift would be necessary if Oshawa only retains production of heavy-duty models, instead of the current two shifts.

While no specific number for potential layoffs has been put forward, General Motors already let go of 700 Oshawa workers when it ended the third shift earlier this year.

The factory had previously operated with three shifts since 2022.

That cut had followed the closure of the CAMI plant in Ingersoll back in October, which remains idled with no clear plans for the future.

The automaker hasn’t commented on this story, which was first reported by Automotive News Canada.

In fact, the company reiterated its commitment to Oshawa and to Canadian manufacturing more broadly, saying once again that Oshawa will produce next-generation trucks.

While the next generation of the Silverado 1500 will arrive for the 2027 model year, the new generation of heavy-duty trucks is only expected for the 2029 model year. GM hasn’t said if Oshawa will build both types of trucks or only the latter.

General Motors also highlighted its $343 million investment in the Oshawa plant that was made especially to prepare it for the arrival of this next generation of pickups.

Body panel stamping will also take place in Oshawa, with $63 million earmarked for this specific purpose.

The St. Catharines engine plant also received a significant $691 million investment to manufacture the new V8 engines that will power the next-generation trucks, along with other facilities in the United States.

While these investments are encouraging for Canadian manufacturing, the overall picture remains bleak, with the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement still looming.

Next-Generation 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Debuts

Indeed, American tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles are the biggest factor in several automakers’ decisions to pull back investments, reduce shifts, or close down factories in Canada, all of which have happened since the Trump administration returned to office in January 2025.

Unifor Local 222, which represents over 2,000 hourly workers at GM’s Oshawa plant, reported to Automotive News Canada being “extremely concerned” about the job stability of its members, as moving to a single shift would significantly reduce the need for employees, as the plant’s total production would drop from about 130,000 units per year to only about 50,000.

A return to the free trade environment that Canada and the United States had enjoyed for decades would likely help turn things around for the Canadian auto sector, but nothing can be taken for granted with the current U.S. administration.

Source: Automotive News Canada