General Motors and battery partner LG Energy will upgrade their Tennessee plant to make lower-cost ‌battery cells, the companies said Tuesday.

General Motors is building about 75% fewer Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles than had ‌originally been planned before federal support for EVs was yanked last year, a union official said.

Western automakers are chasing a defence spending boom as a way to sell more vehicles and make use of underemployed factories, though executives say military work will not make up for slowing car sales and growing Chinese competition.