General Motors announced that it will convert its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant into a “Factory Zero,” which will only produce EVs once finished.
Carmaker General Motors had announced Friday last week that it will revamp its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. GM also decided to rebrand the facility, now calling it “Factory Zero.”
‘Factory Zero’
GM will pour $2.2 billion investment to convert the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center into Factory Zero. It is the largest amount the company has spent on a plant, Business Insider said. Moreover, the new facility will also create over 2,000 jobs once finished.
“Factory ZERO is the next battleground in the #EV race. The electric trucks and SUVs that will be built here will help transform GM and the automotive industry.” – Gerald Johnson, EVP of Global Manufacturing
Read more: https://t.co/TJWPwq93K1 https://t.co/NtTAehBnxR— General Motors (@GM) October 16, 2020
The facility, which used to produce the company’s popular vehicles like the Cadillac CT6, will only become a hub for manufacturing electric vehicles. In particular, GM plans to build its new GMC Hummer EV electric truck on Factory Zero by next year.
Also, GM and Honda’s collaborative autonomous EV will be made there.
Green Efforts for Factory Zero
GM said that the name alludes to the importance of the plant to advance the carmaker’s “zero-crashes, zero-emissions, and zero-congestion future.”
Aside from creating “zero-emission” vehicles, the reconstruction of the facility will also have less impact on the environment. In particular, they used waste concrete for temporary roadways. Meanwhile, its cooling towers and fire suppression systems will take advantage of recycled stormwater, CNN Business reports. Furthermore, the company also claimed the facility will run on renewable energy by 2023. Factory Zero will have a 30-kilowatt solar carport and 516-kilowatt ground-mount photovoltaic solar array.
On top of those efforts, the site will also feature a 16.5-acre dedicated to wildlife habitat. The Wildlife Habitat Council recognized the site, which will becaome home to monarchs, foxes, turkeys, and other animals.
Zero on Factory Zero
According to GM’s executive VP of Global Manufacturing, Gerald Johnson said that the new plant’s vehicles will transform the company and the industry. “Factory Zero is the next battleground in the EV race and will be GM’s flagship assembly plant in our journey to an all-electric future.”
Meanwhile, GM chief sustainability officer Dane Parker said: “This manufacturing plant will be the epitome of GM’s vision by sustainably manufacturing electric and shared autonomous vehicles that can help reduce crashes, emissions, and congestions.”
