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.”

The post GM to Convert Detroit Plant Into ‘Factory Zero’ for Making EVs first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

Two big carmakers are working together to produce both electric and traditional vehicles. On Thursday, General Motors and Honda announced a partnership for the North American market.

Agreement Between Honda and GM

The two giant car companies agreed to a “non-binding memorandum of understanding” to cooperate in selling collaborative vehicles under each of the two brands. Both Honda and GM will team up in different areas, too, like costs for research and development and engineering.

Honda and General Motors announced that they're working together to develop a range of electric and petroleum-powered vehicles.https://t.co/nxjqD2mQ0f

— CNN Business (@CNNBusiness) September 4, 2020

The agreement between the two car-companies entails for vehicles that are both electric and traditional. Per Honda’s press release, the planning talks are to begin soon. Moreover, engineering work is expected to start by early next year.

Collaborations in Carmaking

“This alliance will help both companies accelerate investment in future mobility innovation by freeing up additional resources,” GM President Mark Reuss said.

Meanwhile, Honda Motor’s executive VP, Seiji Kuraishi, said in a statement that the new partnership between Honda and GM can “achieve substantial cost efficiencies in North America that will enable us to invest in future mobility technology.”

Furthermore, the two automakers have already been teaming up for many years in different respects. Reuss noted that GM and Honda has a “strong track record of collaboration.” Previously in April, GM announced it entered a deal with Honda. With this earlier agreement, Honda’s electric vehicle can use GM’s latest “Ultium” battery technology.

The Latest Alliance

Part of the deal will include sharing investments in research and development and engineering. The R&D efforts will consist of advanced tech areas like electrical architecture and advanced driver assist systems, among others.

According to the announcement, the partnership could create significant efficiencies that could save the two companies some money. The two carmakers intend to team up “in joint purchasing activities to create further cost efficiencies by leveraging both company’s respective scale, insight, and best practices,” the news release said.

Honda and GM would both be able to meet the need to invest in future car trends and more opportunities to grow each of their respective brands.

The post GM, Honda Announce Partnership in Future Vehicles first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

General Motors, a 111-year old carmaker company, revealed their brand new product, but this time it is not a traditional Cadillac car. And now, they are set to gear towards being a seller of EVs, a market currently dominated by Elon Musk-led Tesla.

Three years ago, GM first unveiled their plans of launching 20 new electric vehicles by 2023, per The Verge. And finally, they announced last Thursday their first attempt for their commitment of going to “an all-electric future,” with a brand new SUV from Cadillac that is fully electric.

GM’s first EV: what are the features?

Promising to go “beyond 300 miles” in terms of EV range on a single-charge, the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq also boasts of an enormous 33-inch curved LED screen in its interior. The first GM-made EV will also take a page from Tesla’s playbook by having a feature that could park on its own–and even get out of parking!–even without someone inside.

Moreover, the latest version of GM’s semi-autonomous driving system called Super Cruise will be included with the Lyriq. With Super Cruise, drivers may not hold the steering wheel during long travels on major roads. Meanwhile, the exterior will have an advanced lighting technology.

2022 release

Production of the midsize crossover will start in 2022. There is no price tag attached to the model yet. However, GM mentioned it would compete with its peers in the luxury SUVs club, including gasoline-fueled ones. It will be first sold in China, where the EV market is huge. The US will then follow shortly after.

‘All-electric future’

During a news conference, president of Cadillac, Steve Carlisle, said: “It marks a turning point for the brand, a pivot for the brand, an opportunity to regain momentum and position the Cadillac brand for its next chapter.”

The automaker intends to shift the Cadillac brand into an all-electric vehicle by the end of the decade. Lyriq is just the beginning in GM’s plans of expanding their electric vehicle plans. They also intend to push for EV selling globally.

“Lyriq is the cornerstone upon which we are going to build the future,” Carlisle said. He also mentioned, “Our goal is to lead. No excuses, no apologies.”

The post GM Gears For ‘All-Electric Future’ With New Cadillac EV first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins