GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant renamed Factory Zero

Sometimes, a coat of paint and a new name can breathe new life into a place. In GM's case, it's renaming one of its Michigan facilities in order to better represent what it means for the future of both the company and the automotive industry.

GM announced on Friday that it has renamed the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center. The site, which was the location of the original Dodge Factory built in 1911, will now be known as Factory Zero. The name comes in part from being the first of GM's facilities to be dedicated to future technology, but it's also named that way because GM's stated goal is to see a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.

"Factory Zero is the next battleground in the EV race and will be GM's flagship assembly plant in our journey to an all-electric future," said Gerald Johnson, GM's executive vice president of global manufacturing, in a statement. "The electric trucks and SUVs that will be built here will help transform GM and the automotive industry."

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For now, only two vehicles have been confirmed for assembly at the plant, but more should be on the way. At present, we know that GM will build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV at Factory Zero, in addition to the Cruise Origin, a squarish bus-lookin' electric vehicle that's completely driverless and meant for shared rides. Beyond that, GM only said that "cars, trucks and more" will be part of the equation at the factory.

Factory Zero is the focus of a $2.2 billion investment from the automaker, which will retool and upgrade the facility in order to prepare for its newfound purpose. By 2023, the plant will be powered fully by renewable energy. In the meantime, sustainability is already in mind: Waste concrete has been repurposed into temporary roads, recycled stormwater will be put to use in fire suppression and cooling towers, and there's even a 16.5-acre wildlife habitat on the site.