GM Drops a Shift at Michigan Transmission Plant

General Motors Co. says it will go from two- to one-shift production at its transmission plant in Warren, Mich., in late June because of a downturn in car sales.

The factory makes 6-speed automatics for a bevy of car and SUV/crossover models marketed by Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. The facility also builds electric drives for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid and Chevy Malibu midsize sedan.

GM has been reducing output of several models that use the factory’s transmissions, Automotive News says. The newspaper adds that GM dealer inventories jumped 37% last month to their highest level in almost 10 years.

Overall passenger vehicle sales in the U.S. dipped 2% to 5.5 million units through the first four months of 2017, as a 4% gain in truck sales was offset by an 11% drop in demand for cars, according to Autodata Corp.