General Motors has ended BrightDrop electric van production at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, a decision that will eliminate about 1,200 jobs and mark a second blow to Canada’s auto sector in less than a week.
“The commercial electric van market has been developing much slower than expected,” CEO Mary Barra told investors, while the company also cited the elimination of US tax credits. The credits for new and used EVs ended, removing up to $7,500 per vehicle for buyers.
This comes just less than a week after Stellantis said it would move a new Jeep model from its idle Brampton plant to Belvidere, Illinois, leaving roughly 3,000 Canadian workers in limbo. In a separate cut this year, GM moved to eliminate a shift at its Oshawa pickup plant, with union and local reports pointing to hundreds of direct job losses and wider supplier impacts.
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Industry Minister Mélanie Joly drew a distinction from last week’s Stellantis dispute, saying GM’s exit stems from BrightDrop “not going well commercially.” She reiterated Ottawa will push for another vehicle to be assigned to CAMI and hold GM to any remaining obligations tied to earlier aid.
For Stellantis, Joly threatened legal action that the automaker failed to keep the firm’s “full Canadian footprint,” which could constitute contractual default despite billions in public support.
CAMI began building electric delivery vans in 2022 following a rapid retool, but output was paused in May 2025 after sales softness and inventory buildup. GM had planned a restart in November with one shift, which is now canceled as BrightDrop is discontinued and not relocated.
Public funding is material to the plant’s history. Federal and Ontario governments disclosed $518 million toward GM’s broader Ontario EV investments including CAMI and Oshawa.
Unifor blamed the shutdown on President Donald Trump’s trade moves, linking the exit to a 25% US auto tariff and the loss of EV incentives. The tariff regime applies to imported vehicles and parts with specific treatment for USMCA-compliant content, plus new 25% duties on medium and heavy trucks and parts starting November 1.
Meanwhile, GM said it will meet with Unifor and government officials to discuss the site’s future.
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