General Motors announced its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center will be known as Factory ZERO, reconfigured to an all-electric vehicle assembly plant. The name Factory ZERO reflects the significance of this facility in advancing GM’s zero-crashes, zero-emissions and zero-congestion future.

Factory ZERO will be the launchpad for GM’s multi-brand EV strategy. The facility has advanced technology and tooling and was designed with a focus on sustainable manufacturing. The GMC HUMMER EV pickup and the Cruise Origin, a purpose-built electric, self-driving, shared vehicle, and other GM EVs will be built at Factory ZERO. Production of the GMC HUMMER EV pickup will begin in late 2021.

Out with the old, in with the new.

GM’s $2.2-billion investment in Factory ZERO, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center for retooling and upgrades will position the facility to build EVs at scale. (Earlier post.) It represents the single largest investment in a plant in GM history. Once fully operational, the plant will create more than 2,200 manufacturing jobs.

Both the upcoming GMC HUMMER EV and the Cruise Origin will be built on GM’s Ultium battery platform. Ultium is flexible enough to build a wide range of EVs—cars, trucks and more—and is the heart of GM’s future EV lineup.

Factory ZERO is being transformed with sustainability in mind. During the plant’s physical transition, concrete waste was repurposed to create temporary roadways. The site also recycled stormwater to reduce discharge costs and offset the cost of potable water. Treated stormwater will be used in cooling towers and the fire suppression system. Recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council, the site also features a 16.5-acre wildlife habitat and is home to species such as monarchs, foxes and turkeys.

GM is committed to sourcing 100% of its US facilities with renewable energy by 2030, and all global facilities by 2040. All DTE-supplied GM facilities in southeast Michigan, including Factory ZERO, will be powered by renewable energy by 2023. The factory also features a 30-kilowatt solar carport and 516-kilowatt ground-mount photovoltaic solar array from DTE.

Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly built more than 4 million vehicles since its opening in 1985. Hourly employees at Detroit-Hamtramck are represented by UAW Local 22.

Posted on 17 October 2020 in Electric (Battery), Manufacturing | Permalink | Comments (0)

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