GM announces temporary layoffs of hundreds of workers at Kansas plant

General Motors said Thursday it plans to lay off hundreds of workers at its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas, as it ends production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

The automaker said 680 factory workers will begin layoffs on November 18. The automaker informed employees of its plan to carry out the phased layoffs earlier this year.

“As previously announced in May, GM is investing approximately $390 million in our Fairfax Assembly Plant to increase production of the new Chevrolet Bolt EV,” GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press. “To facilitate the installation of the new tooling, workers will be temporarily laid off until production resumes in mid-2025.”

Affected workers will receive support under the terms of the UAW-GM contract, Kelly said. The UAW did not immediately comment on this story.

The Malibu was first introduced in 1964, and production ended in 1983 but resumed in 1997, according to Edmunds.com. GM sold millions of the family sedans over those decades, with some generations even being sold as police vehicles. However, in May, GM said it would end production of the car to make room for production of the next-generation Bolt in Fairfax. GM CEO Mary Barra said the next-generation Bolt EV would likely arrive in 2025.

The only Chevrolet with a gasoline engine is the Corvette, since GM ended production of the Camaro muscle car last year. Earlier this year, GM introduced a plug-in hybrid version of the Corvette, called the E-Ray.

In addition to the Malibu, GM builds the Cadillac XT4 SUV at Fairfax Assembly. However, XT4 production will cease in January, and the remaining workers will be temporarily laid off. Fairfax Assembly employs a total of 2,275 workers, according to GM’s website. Kelly said GM plans to resume XT4 production at Fairfax once the retooling is complete.

The new Bolt will use GM’s Ultium powertrain. The previous-generation Bolt was built at Orion Assembly in Orion Township. That plant is being rebuilt to produce the Chevrolet Silverado EV, which is currently built at Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck. In July, GM said Orion production wouldn’t begin until mid-2026.

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This is an evolving story.

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more about General Motors and sign up for our automotive newsletter. Become a subscriber.