Detroit, Mich. – General Motors will invest $449 million to upgrade manufacturing processes at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, the plant that makes the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid; and Brownstown Battery Assembly, the plant that assembles the Volt’s batteries.
“General Motors is committed to building award-winning products and developing technologies in America, which helps to grow our economy from a resurgent auto industry,” says Gerald Johnson, GM North America Manufacturing vice president. “These investments will help the next-generation Chevrolet Volt build on its position as the leader in electrified propulsion.”
The investment is the largest to date at both facilities and includes $384 million at Detroit-Hamtramck for new body shop tooling, equipment, and additional plant upgrades to build the next generation Volt and two future products. This brings GM’s total investment at Detroit-Hamtramck to more than $1 billion over the last five years.
GM’s $65 million investment at its Brownstown Battery Assembly will support the next generation of lithium-ion battery production and future battery systems.
The Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant is the world’s only automotive plant that mass-produces extended-range electric vehicles – including the Volt, Cadillac ELR and Opel Ampera – for markets in 33 countries. Detroit-Hamtramck also builds the Chevrolet Malibu and Impala sedans and is home to a 264,000 ft2 photovoltaic solar array that can generate up to 516 kW of electricity, or enough to charge 150 electric vehicles per day.
Brownstown Battery Assembly’s 479,000 ft2, landfill-free facility south of Detroit produces the lithium-ion battery packs for GM’s extended-range electric vehicles. It started mass production in October 2010 and is the first high-volume manufacturing site in the U.S. operated by a major automaker for automotive lithium-ion battery production. The site was made possible with the help of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding through the U.S. Department of Energy.
Source: General Motors