GM excited with new factory and truck

Continuing its shift toward electric mobility, General Motors has unveiled a new Chevrolet Silverado that has been rebooted as the company's first all-electric pickup.

To be built at GM's new Factory ZERO assembly plant in Michigan, the Chevrolet e-Silverado has been designed from the ground up to be a full-size electric pickup, harnessing the fullest potential of GM's Ultium platform and the proven capability of Chevy's flagship truck.

According to GM, the electric Silverado will offer customers an estimated range of more than 400 miles on a full charge.

"The vehicles coming from Factory ZERO will change the world, and how the world views electric vehicles," said General Motors President Mark Reuss. "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."

Last year, GM announced an investment of $2.2 billion in its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to produce a variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs and in October the company renamed the plant to Factory ZERO.

The name is intended to reflect the facility's significance in advancing GM's vision of a future with zero accidents, zero emissions and zero congestion.

GM plans to deliver more than 1 million electric vehicles globally by 2025 and earn EV market leadership in North America. With the company's Ultium platform, virtual development tools and technology, GM has reduced vehicle development times by nearly 50% to just 26 months.

And Factory ZERO is the facility to make this happen, as the largest ever renovation and retooling project undertaken by the legacy carmaker, the facility is being equipped with advanced technologies and tooling designed with a focus on sustainable manufacturing.

The plant's paint and body shops and general assembly area are receiving comprehensive upgrades, including new machines, conveyors, controls and tooling, expanding the facility to over 4.5 million square feet.

Along with the electric Silverado, the company intends to make Factory ZERO the production base for its Hummer EV and the Cruise Origin, a purpose-built, all-electric and shared self-driving vehicle, with the Hummer being slated to begin production later this year.

Over the last 18 months, General Motors has knuckled down on its transition to an all-electric future and the progress over those months show the American automaker's momentum toward that future. Highlights from this push toward a zero-emissions future include:

• Revealing the heart of GM's electric vehicle strategy, modular propulsion system and highly flexible global EV platform powered by proprietary Ultium batteries.

• The unveiling of its "Everybody In" campaign, showcasing a message of inclusion and acceptance to a cleaner and greener future.

• Committing more than $27 billion to electric and autonomous vehicle product development, including $7 billion in 2021 already with plans to launch 30 EVs globally by 2025.

• Introducing a growing EV lineup with the 2022 Bolt electric utility vehicle and Bolt EV, both expected in dealerships this summer.

• And the unveiling of BrightDrop, a new business that aims to electrify and improve the delivery of goods and services with an ecosystem of electric first-to-last-mile products, software and services.

GM has made many moves and is shaking the automotive market with an all-in strategy as well, which further resounded after a complete rebranding to emphasize a cleaner more modern look.

The announcement yesterday reaffirms GM's commitment to build on the brand's more-than-a-century expertise and leadership, while transitioning to an all-electric future and the overall tone appears overwhelmingly optimistic.

Further details of GM's EV strategy and "Everybody In" campaign can be read at GM embraces electric inflection point in the January 13, 2021 edition of Metal Tech News. More information on BrightDrop can be read at GM unveils all electric delivery ecosystem in the January 20, 2021 edition of Metal Tech News.