General Motors Co. affirmed plans to build electric pickups and SUVs at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant and scheduled the start of production for late next year.

Output of electric Cruise Origin driverless vehicles will follow soon after the initial pickups roll off the line, GM said in a statement Monday. The automaker committed to investing US$2.2 billion in the factory as part of the labor agreement reached last year with the United Auto Workers union.

GM will spend another US$800 million on supplier tooling and projects related to the trucks. The investments will give the factory new life after facing possible closure as part of a restructuring announced in late 2018. Once fully operational, the plant will employ 2,200 workers.

“This investment helps ensure that Michigan will remain at the epicenter of the global automotive industry as we continue our journey to an electrified future,” GM President Mark Reuss said in the statement.

GM plans to build a family of electric vehicles at Detroit-Hamtramck, including a Hummer truck that will be sold by GMC dealers, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month.