General Motors will idle a number of North American factories this year for 10 weeks to allow it to retool for future models.
GM says the planned downtime is a key reason why it isn’t bothered that its inventory has reached a 97-day supply of vehicles, the highest level it has been in nine years and much higher than the 82-day and 80-day supplies of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford.
Speaking to reports at the unveiling of the new Buick Enclave at the New York Auto Show, GM’s North American president Alan Batey said “Our inventory is high because we’re going to take 10 weeks out in the back end of the year as we’re modifying our plants, particularly with pickup trucks.”
Of GM’s range of vehicles, supplies of the Chevrolet Silverado have jumped the most, up from 78 days to 115 days’ worth in March, reports Automotive News.
Batey was coy on revealing which models are responsible for the plant retooling but said that new pickups account for a large proportion, suggesting that redesigns of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra may be around the corner.
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