Mary Barra Defends GM Plans To Sell Lordstown Plant

General Motors chief executive Mary Barra has defended the car manufacturer’s decision to sell its factory in Lordstown, Ohio.

The company intends on selling its site to electric pickup truck manufacturer Workhorse and Barra met with Michigan and Ohio lawmakers in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to provide a business update about the plans, The Detroit News reports.

GM has faced harsh criticism since announcing a global restructuring plan in November last year which would see it stop production at five plants across North America.

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In a statement issued after meetings with Barra, U.S. Senator Rob Portman said politicians are pushing “GM to do the right thing.”

“We will continue to fight for the workers in the Mahoning Valley who dedicated their lives to making Lordstown an award-winning plant. We continue to have questions about GM’s decision to close the plant instead of bringing production of one of its 20 new electric vehicles there,” Portman said. “My first choice remains for GM to reinvest in Lordstown, but we also need to hear more about this proposal to sell the plant to Workhorse and whether it will work.”

Workhorse unveiled its range-extended W-15 electric pickup truck over two years ago but little has been heard about the vehicle, or the company, since. Reports state that the company recently postponed plans to build the pickup truck and will instead focus on battery-powered lightweight vans as it attempts to generate enough revenue to avoid a collapse. The company recorded $364,000 in sales in the first quarter of 2019 alongside net losses totaling $6.3 million.