Canada May Be Losing The Silverado 1500 For Good | Carscoops

The Canadian auto industry seems set for another blow as production of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is expected to end at Oshawa Assembly later this year. The plant opened in 1953 and also builds heavy duty versions of the pickup.

However, the bow tie brand recently unveiled the 2027 Silverado 1500 and it’s not expected to be produced in Canada. This is hardly surprising as the automaker is preparing Orion Assembly in Michigan to produce gas-powered, full-size light duty trucks and SUVs.

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That plant has been idled for years as GM ended Bolt production in 2023 and planned to turn the facility into a hub for the Silverado and Sierra EVs. Production of those models was originally slated to begin in 2024, but was pushed back to late 2025 to “better manage capital investment, while aligning with evolving EV demand.” However, sales were far below the company’s lofty expectations and certainly didn’t require a second plant, so it got a gassy makeover.

As for Oshawa, AutoForecast Solutions expects it will continue building the Silverado 2500 and 3500. If this happens, the plant could be reduced to just one shift.

Auto News Canada reports Unifor Local 222 is “extremely concerned” about this possibility. Furthermore, Local President Jeff Gray told the publication they haven’t received word on whether or not they’ll be building the redesigned 1500. That doesn’t sound promising, especially now that the truck has been unveiled.

Despite the bleak outlook, GM announced plans to invest $63 million CAD ($44.5 million USD) into Oshawa Assembly for next-generation truck production earlier this year. At the time, the company specifically mentioned building “gas-powered full-size pickups” as well as enhancing their service parts business. They also noted the plant was the only North American facility producing both the light and heavy duty models on the same line.

If the plant goes heavy duty-only, it would likely continue building the current generation for a few more years. It would then switch over to the redesigned model, which is expected in 2029.