Automotive
GM closing Brownstown battery plant and repurposing hydrogen fuel cell facility
Car and Driver reports GM is closing its leased Brownstown battery plant and repurposing a building once meant for fuel cells.
The short version
- Car and Driver reports GM is closing its leased Brownstown Battery Assembly plant as its lease ends next year.[Car and Driver]
- GM plans to move the plant's component work to other nearby GM facilities, according to a spokesperson.[Car and Driver]
- GM is repurposing a building originally meant for hydrogen fuel cell development, per an Automotive News report, though its new use is not described.[Car and Driver]
- GM has also dropped hydrogen fuel cell work, citing high costs, limited infrastructure, and low demand; its Honda venture was disbanded last year.[Car and Driver]
Key facts
- GM plans to close its leased 480,000-square-foot Brownstown Battery Assembly plant when the lease ends next year.[Car and Driver]
- A GM spokesperson said the Brownstown work will move to other nearby GM facilities.[Car and Driver]
- GM is repurposing a building originally meant for hydrogen fuel cell development, according to an Automotive News report cited by Car and Driver.[Car and Driver]
- GM and Honda formed a joint venture in 2017 to produce a hydrogen fuel cell system, and the partnership was disbanded last year.[Car and Driver]
- GM is no longer working on a hydrogen fuel cell system, citing high costs, limited infrastructure, and low demand.[Car and Driver]
What remains uncertain
- The available reporting does not describe what the repurposed building will be used for.[Car and Driver]
- The repurposing detail rests on an Automotive News report cited by Car and Driver and is not confirmed by a GM statement in the reporting.[Car and Driver]
- Car and Driver characterizes the Brownstown plant as effectively useless to GM; this is the outlet's assessment, not a GM statement.[Car and Driver]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.