GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant Rechristened as Factory ZERO to Build Electric Vehicles
General Motors has reconfigured its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center to become an all-electric vehicle assembly plant, to be known as Factory ZERO. 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, with production of the GMC HUMMER EV pickup set to begin in late 2021.
“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,” said Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing. “The electric trucks and SUVs that will be built here will help transform GM and the automotive industry.”
GM’s $2.2 billion investment in Factory ZERO for retooling and upgrades represents the single largest investment in a plant in GM history. Once fully operational, the plant will create more than 2,200 U.S. manufacturing jobs. 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 percent of its U.S. 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.
The Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center built more than 4 million Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac vehicles since opening in 1985, and is no stranger to electric vehicle production: The Chevrolet Volt was assembled there from 2011 to 2019, along with the Cadillac ELR, Holden Volt and Opal/Vauxhall Ampere derivatives.