DETROIT, MI – General Motors and Honda have announced plans to create the first-ever hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing plant, right here in Metro Detroit.
The project was announced Monday morning at a joint GM/Honda press conference. Executives from the two automakers say the plant will create nearly 100 new jobs for Metro Detroit workers.
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The state-of-the-art facility will be built in Brownstown, just south of the city of Detroit, and represents the first integrated hydrogen fuel cell production operation in the automotive industry.
GM-Honda's new Hydrogen Fuel Cell Stack to be built in Michigan under a joint venture. Will start in vehicles other than retail. pic.twitter.com/HndXuw8j84
— Rod Meloni (@RodMeloni) January 30, 2017
Toshiaki Mikoshiba, president and chief operating officer for Honda’s North American operations, claims this new venture will create a “low-cost next-gen fuel cell system,” saving drivers money at the gas pump.
“The foundation of outstanding teamwork will now take us to the stage of joint mass production of a fuel cell system that will help each company create new value for our customers in fuel cell vehicles of the future,” Mikoshiba said.
General Motors’ executive vice president Mark Reuss also added the project will help push the automotive industry towards more environmentally-friendly vehicle propulsion systems.
“The eventual deployment of this technology in passenger vehicles will create more differentiated and environmentally-friendly transportation options for consumers,” Reuss said. “The result is a lower-cost system that is a fraction of the size and mass.”
GM and Honda are co-funding the project, with equal investments totaling $85 million. It is slated to begin mass production in 2020.
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