General Motors announced on Tuesday, October 13 that it will re-tool and update four plants in the vicinity of Flint, Michigan to assist in the construction of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and the Cruze compact, with an investment of $230 million and the restoration of approximately 500 jobs.

The plants include Flint Engine South, Flint Metal Center, Flint Tool and Die, and Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center. The Cruze will be assembled in Lordstown Ohio and the Volt at a plant in Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan. The re-opened plants will aid in the development of automated equipment and tooling for the production of the vehicles.

Additionally, the revamped facilities will develop dies and stamp body components and panels. Key powertrain components will also be assembled there, like the 1.4-liter four-cylinder Volt engine and generator, and the Cruze's 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine.

Flint Engine South will receive $202 million to renovate for the construction of engines; Flint Metal Center will use $1.7 million to refurbish its press lines to make sheet metal stampings for the Volt. Approximately $30 million will be put into the Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center to build robotic tools to assemble the Volt Body.

The Cruze will be launched in the spring of 2010, with the Volt to follow in November. GM has plans to produce 10,000 Volts in the first year of production.