A test track will also be built there, and General Motors plans to test autonomous vehicles in Oshawa. Even though the chief exec is aware that autonomous driving costs a lot of green dollar bills in research and development, Mary Barra knows that GM can’t afford to lose ground to American competitors such as the Ford Motor Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Autopilot from Tesla.
Super Cruise is the closest General Motors has come to hands-free driving, a Level 2 system that reduces driver fatigue on the highway. Only the CT6 and CT5 are available with Super Cruise, but more models from Cadillac and other GM brands will receive the technological suite in the coming years.
Turning our attention back to Oshawa, the union isn’t exactly happy with General Motors. “I know this is a far cry from what we deserve but when you have governments, both federal and provincial alike, that seem not to care about the loss of good paying jobs it makes what is already an uphill battle even more difficult,” said Colin James, president of Unifor Local 222.
The problem with the General Motors plant closures is that the Detroit-based automaker was bailed out with taxpayers’ money in 2009. As a “thank you” to the federal government and all of the taxpayers who supported the automaker, General Motors is more interested to invest in China than the United States, and that isn't alright in light of what happened a decade ago.
Other nameplates that won’t be available any longer in the United States include the Volt, Cruze, and Buick LaCrosse. And that’s no coincidence considering that FCA and the Blue Oval are also big on crossovers, SUVs, and trucks to the detriment of passenger cars with conventional body styles.
