GM prepping Detroit-Hamtramck plant for Chevrolet Volt By Robert Snell The Detroit News Hamtramck -- General Motors Co. will invest $336 million upgrading its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant for production of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. The investment, which will be announced later this morning during an event at the plant with Gov. Jennifer Granholm, boosts GM's total investment in the Volt project to $700 million. 'We expect the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will be the first facility in the U.S. owned by a major automaker to produce an electric car,' said Jon Lauckner, GM vice president of global product planning. 'It is the hub for the wheel that we began rolling in 2007 when the Volt debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.' The Volt is scheduled to go on sale late next year and will let commuters travel up to 40 miles on electric power. The engine kicks in after its battery is drained by about 70 percent to sustain the battery's remaining charge to keep the car running for several hundred miles. It will be built in Hamtramck and powered by lithium-ion battery packs assembled at a plant in Brownstown Township. The Volt's 4-cylinder engine, meanwhile, will be made at the Flint Engine South plant. In total, eight facilities in Michigan will contribute to Volt production, including tooling from a plant in Grand Blanc and camshafts and connecting rods from Bay City. GM plans on producing about 8,000 Volts for the 2011 model year before eventually expanding to as many as 60,000. GM will save money upgrading the plant by using equipment taken from other GM facilities. The Volt will be built on an existing assembly line, and prototype vehicles will begin production next spring. The plant, which produces the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne, opened in 1985 and employs 1,013 hourly and 133 salaried workers. 'This investment is great news for the work force as it helps pave the way for the future and the electrification of the automobile,' said Cal Rapson, vice president and director of the United Auto Workers. Last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, GM announced the Volt initially will be sold in California and other undisclosed markets before launching nationally. Today's announcement drew a stable of politicians, including Detroit Mayor Dave Bing; U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak; and U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia. rsnelldetnews.com (313) 222-2028 