By Rod Walton, EnergyTech Senior Editor
The auto assembly plant between Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan has produced millions of internal combustion motor cars for many years and is a testament to General Motors' industry legacy in the 20th century.
Today, it opens as Factory Zero, a high-tech, digitalized promise supporting GM’s goal of being a top electric vehicle producer in the 21st century.
“We’re playing the long game,” GM President Mark Reuss said from the Factory Zero floor in a Wednesday morning interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box. “This factory goes way back…and now we’re launching our future out of it.”
President Biden will visit the facility today as it reopens with a firm commitment to EVs. GM has said it will be an all-EV producer by 2035.
The Hummer EV will be produced at the Factory Zero plant. Reuss told CNBC that half a million customer have raised their hands to be in line for those kind of luxury EV products.
The Hummer is only one of numerous near-term EV models planned by GM, which is competing with the likes of Tesla to retain relevance in the automobile market. Other all-electrics, some of which will be produced in Hamtramck, include the Silverado E, the autonomous Cruze Origin and the electric version of the GMC Sierra.
GM is targeting manufacture of 30 EV models by 2025. “No SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) or startup can make that claim,” Reuss told CNBC.
Formerly known as Detroit-Hamtramck, the plant was built in 1985 and has manufactured more than 3 million vehicles over the years. GM spent more than $2 billion to retool the facility.
Detroit-based utility DTE Energy will supply Factory Zero with all renewable energy by 2023, according to reports. The factory also features a 30-kW solar carport and 516-kW solar array from DTE.
