During a speech at GM’s oldest running production plant, U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama made it clear that he will help the Detroit 3 and the economy in general. This is in contrast to his previous criticisms towards the domestic carmakers, especially in regards to low-mileage SUVs that the Detroit 3 is famous for. Obama’s plan is to increase spending in the construction and environmental industries, and help create millions of new jobs and a need for pickup trucks and SUVs. At the same time, Obama vowed to help the domestic auto industry to a more fuel-efficient future.

"I believe that if our government is there to support you, and give you the assistance you need to retool and make this transition, that this plant will be here for another hundred years," Obama said in his speech. Some of his measures include spending $210 billion to create jobs in construction and environmental industries, $150 billion for 5 million "green-collar" jobs to develop more environmentally friendly energy, and $60 billion to rebuild highways, bridges, airports and other projects, reports The Detroit News.

Previously, Obama was critical of carmakers, stating that they had to change their current path. "For too long, we've been either too afraid to ask our automakers to meet higher fuel standards or unwilling to help them do it," he said during a May speech.

As for hybrid vehicles, Obama talked of a “clean energy economy” and said that he believed if the government is there to support and give assistance to the Detroit 3 they could be around for the next one hundred years.