SCHUMER ANNOUNCES: GENERAL MOTORS WILL INVEST NEARLY $154 MILLION AT LOCKPORT MANUFACTURING PLANT; SENATOR SAYS INVESTMENT WILL BRING ELECTRIC MOTOR COMPONENTS PRODUCTION AND OVER 200 GOOD-PAYING JOBS TO WESTERN NEW YORK, FUELING SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL GROWTH TO THE REGION, AND SUPERCHARGING DOMESTIC ELECTRIC VEHICLE ECONOMY
Schumer Has Been A Leader At The Federal Level In Expanding Electric Vehicle Infrastructure And Domestic EV Manufacturing; Paving The Way For Major Investments Like This To Drive Upstate NY Into The Future
Electric Motor Components Built At GM Lockport Plant Will Help Power Future Ultium Platform-Based Electric Truck And SUV Products
Schumer: GM Expansion Is A Win-Win-Win: Sparking Local Job Growth, Jolting American Manufacturing, & Plugging GM and the Nation Into An Electric, Cleaner Future
Lockport, N.Y. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today released the following statement after attending the announcement of General Motors plans to invest nearly $154 million in its Western New York Lockport Components plant for the production of electric motor components, which is expected to bring 230 good-paying jobs to Western New York and position the region at the forefront of the rapidly growing electric vehicles market:
“Today’s tremendous news is exactly why I fought so hard to expand electric vehicle infrastructure. Western New York’s powerhouse workforce is first-class and ready to help drive the world forward into an electric future,” said Senator Chuck Schumer. “230 new good-paying UAW jobs and an historic $154 million investment by GM will now supercharge Lockport, positioning the region as a rapidly emerging leader in electric vehicle manufacturing. As Majority Leader, I am proud to have secured the key provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure and jobs law to make this transition to electric vehicles possible. I will keep fighting to pass more bold legislation like the Build Back Better Act and my U.S. Innovation and Competition Act to create more manufacturing jobs right here in Upstate New York and further position the U.S. to lead the world in electric vehicle manufacturing.”
The $154 million investment will be used to renovate the Lockport manufacturing facility and purchase and install new machinery and equipment used in the production of the stator module, a key component in an electric motor. The electric motors will be used in a variety of GM’s future Ultium Platform-based electric trucks and SUVs. GM currently estimates the Lockport facility will add approximately 230 positions between 2023-2026.
Senator Schumer has long been leading the charge at the federal level to make electric vehicles affordable, and expand electric vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing in the U.S. In October 2019, Schumer unveiled his Clean Cars For America Climate Proposal to help accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century by making clean cars and charging infrastructure accessible and affordable to all Americans, all while investing in the domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles and batteries to ensure the U.S. leads the world in this industry.
Furthermore, Schumer stressed that this does not mean he is finished advocating for UAW-staffed plants in Western New York. Schumer noted that the growing need for electric vehicles should drive new investment at the neighboring GM facilities in Rochester and Tonawanda, as well as the Ford Stamping Plant in Blasdell. Schumer stated that all four facilities are critical to the Western New York economy and that he would do everything in his power to ensure their continued prosperity and connection to new opportunities in the fast-growing electric vehicle market.
In the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, that Schumer led to passage, he successfully secured $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers, including $175 million for New York, that will put America on the path to a convenient and equitable network of 500,000 chargers across the country. This investment by the federal government is key to accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; making electric vehicles and the infrastructure they rely on more accessible to all Americans.
Senator Schumer also has a long history of fighting to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing to help address the current chip shortage that has caused major disruptions in auto manufacturing. The demand for semiconductor chips will only further grow with the expansion of electric vehicle manufacturing in the U.S. since electric vehicles often have double or more the amount of chips compared to non-electric cars. After years of staunch advocacy, Schumer successfully passed his U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) in the Senate last year. This bill includes $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement semiconductor-related manufacturing and R&D programs that are essential to auto manufacturing and many other industries. Schumer is now actively working with President Biden and Speaker Pelosi to secure final passage of USICA into law.
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