Fire at GM's Factory Zero Caused Over $1 Million Worth of Damages

General Motors opened Factory Zero back in November 2021 following an investment of $2.2 billion to retooling the facility and convert it into an EV manufacturing center.

Back then, the event took place in the presence of President Joe Biden, who toured the manufacturing plant and drove the Hummer EV. Both the Hummer SUV and pickup truck, as well as the Chevrolet Silverado EV, roll off the production line of the plant located on the Detroit-Hamtramck border.

The plant is the first GM production center to build EVs only and also the first of its kind for the city. Unfortunately, it has had to deal with more issues than any plant building ICE-powered cars in the area. Production centers such as the Detroit Assembly Complex, where Stellantis is building the Jeep Grand Cherokee, did not report any fire incidents.

But it is not all milk and honey at Factory Zero. During the past few months, first responders have grown used to receiving emergency calls from the facility. The latest incident caused major damage, which was estimated at $1 million in content and $300,000 in property, as reported by Automotive News.

Furthermore, the fire sparked concerns regarding the protocol for battery fires at the EV manufacturing center.

Back then, the cause of the fire is believed to be a forklift accidentally puncturing a battery materials container. It took the firefighters approximately seven hours to put out the fire, which broke out near the loading dock. One of them was injured and admitted to hospital, while all others were exposed to the toxic gases released by the batteries.

The fire in December was the eighth since the summer of 2023, according to Dennis Hunter, chief of fire prevention for the Detroit Fire Department. And the volatile chemistry of the battery is to blame. First responders are worried due to the growing number of such facilities in Michigan and across the country.

The administrators of Factory Zero and the fire department are collaborating to set up a better response plan that would reduce hazards. The plan focuses on handling EV batteries in a way that would prevent them from overheating or catching fire. EV plants need uniform standards from the National Fire Protection Association for storage and handling of electric cars' batteries, which would force manufacturers to work on prevention.

The representatives of the plant stress that the workers' safety is a top priority. Furthermore, the factory needs improved protocols to identify the location of fires in such large facilities. Factory Zero covers a huge 11.6 million-square-foot area. Approximately 2,000 people work there.