American automotive giant General Motors will build its second electric Hummer “supertruck”, the Hummer EV SUV, at Factory Zero, the company’s first fully dedicated EV assembly plant located in Michigan.
Factory Zero was originally in 1985 when it was known simply as Detroit-Hamtramck. It has manufactured over 3 million vehicles since it was first inaugurated, but is now renamed and dedicated solely to building electric vehicles.
Already scheduled to begin constructing the GMC Hummer EV – which was launched back in October 2020 – as well as the all-electric and driverless Cruise Origin shuttle, General Motors announced this month that Factory Zero will also build the GMC Hummer EV SUV which was unveiled this month, as well as the newly-announced Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup/ute.
“The vehicles coming from Factory Zero will change the world, and how the world views electric vehicles,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors President.
“The GMC Hummer EV SUV joins its stablemate in the realm of true supertrucks, and Chevrolet will take everything Chevy’s loyal truck buyers love about Silverado — and more — and put it into an electric pickup that will delight retail and commercial customers alike.”
General Motors has transitioned quickly to renovate its Detroit-Hamtramck to an all-electric assembly line, not long after it decided against simply shutting down the plant.
The company immediately invested $US2.2 billion into the conversion and renamed the facility in October 2020.
General Motors is planning to deliver more than 1 million electric vehicles globally by 2025 and has set its sights on becoming the market leading EV manufacturer in North America.
Similarly important to these goals, GM’s Ultium Platform – its battery joint venture with South Korean chemical company, LG Chem, which was announced in December 2019 – as well as its virtual development tools and technology has helped the company reduce vehicle development time by nearly 50% to only 26 months.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.