GM and the Detroit Fire Department are working to improve safety at the automaker’s Factory Zero production facility, General Motors’ first fully dedicated EV assembly plant. Fire department responders have been called in eight separate incidents at the facility since last summer, many of which involved fires. One of the most significant incidents occurred on December 19th, 2023, and involved a three-alarm fire that required the facility to be evacuated.
Per a report from Detroit Free Press, the December fire resulted in 22 fire trucks and 88 firefighters responding to the scene, with many responders exposed to “the tremendous hazards of a toxic environment.”
Detroit fire officials, including Detroit’s chief of fire prevention, Dennis Hunter, are urging General Motors to invest in equipment to help prevent or contain fires sparked by lithium-ion battery cells. The equipment includes monitoring blankets that can detect rising temperatures in battery cells and trigger an alert, allowing the cells to adequately cool before igniting.
The Factory Zero facility is unique in that it assembles lithium-ion cells into modules, and then uses those modules to create battery packs, a process that carries additional risks. The majority of automakers use pre-assembled battery packs for EV production.
GM acknowledges the eight incidents in which fire department responders have been called to the facility, but clarified that some of the incidents were not fire-related. Rather, some were for medical emergencies, and others were non-fire incidents. General Motors says it is working alongside the city of Detroit to enhance its safety plan and is considering investing in new safety equipment.
No serious injuries have been reported as a result of fires at the facility. However, two of fires have resulted in more than $1 million in damage.
The city of Detroit may impose fines or violations on GM if necessary, but is currently working with the automaker to develop a better response plan for EV fires. GM is also exploring hiring and training of its own in-house fire personnel.
Previously known as the GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant, the facility was overhauled to produce EVs following a $2.2 billion investment. Factory Zero produces the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV.
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"GM acknowledges the eight incidences ". Where I live we call them "incidents".
Stop making EV's and the fire risk will go away.
Agree. Technology, is just not there yet for this scale of building. It will be a real issue, when someone is seriously hurt or killed next time. Ford has stopped builg the F150 EV. Same problem. Fires!!!! They say it's "poor sales" Yeh, poor sales is right. Nobody wants to burn their house down when their brand new vehicle catches fire in their garage. STOP all Ev's now. This can only get much worse before it gets better.
Soon we will be seeing more of these fires caused by the lithium ion batteries. As more vehicles are put into service it is apparent that your insurance rates may increase. Further more local fire departments with have to deal with them. These vehicles must be checked frequently to prevent fires.
These are the fires that were reported...
I ask yet once again if anyone at GM will be held accountable for talking Trash about Tesla for years and then getting nothing but disastrous results on all of their BEV Programs?
I have stated this many times and will do so again....GM, please move away from pouch cells and into Cylindrical cells ASAP!!!
Maybe they should make electric fire trucks at the plant.