General Motors officially launched its new electric motor in White Marsh Tuesday, a milestone in U.S. manufacturing — and a key part of the company's bet that the electric-vehicle market is poised to grow.
With production under way at the Baltimore County "eMotor" plant, GM says, the company is the first automaker to manufacture electric-drive motors domestically. The operation is small for now: About 20 employees make motors for the plug-in electric Chevrolet Spark EV, side by side with 27 robots.
Local leaders hope for growth — something that depends on consumers. Whether they will buy all-electric vehicles in significant numbers is the question facing White Marsh, GM and the entire auto industry, said Brett Smith, co-director of manufacturing, engineering and technology at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Source
The Baltimore Sun