A major investment in hydrogen fuel cell production by GM has been put on hold, according to a report in Crain’s Detroit Business. According to a source familiar with the matter, work has been paused on a $55 million joint project with supplier Piston Automotive to make hydrogen fuel cells at a Detroit facility.
The original plan was for Piston Automotive to lease and operate a 292,500-square-foot facility on the old State Fairgrounds site and create 144 jobs making hydrogen fuel cells. GM currently makes hydrogen fuel cells at a Brownstown, Michigan facility alongside other automotive components in a joint venture with Honda, but this would have been GM’s first standalone fuel cell factory.
Piston Automotive declined to comment when reached by Crain’s Detroit Business, and GM spokesman Kevin Kelly simply said that the project had not been canceled. The reported pause on the project comes at a time of uncertainty around the future of alternative fuel vehicles, given slower-than-expected EV demand and a White House that’s cutting back on incentivizing such vehicles.
This project was first announced in September 2024 with ambitions to create up to 300 jobs as production scales at the potential hydrogen fuel cell plant. “It’s great to have a new technology in the city we’re from,” GM chief economic development and real estate officer David Massaron told Crain’s Detroit Business at the time of the announcement. “To us, it’s a really exciting investment not only to the future of our company but also an investment in the city, and we’re really proud of it.”
Should it resume, the new hydrogen fuel cell facility’s strategic location will place it near key logistics hubs, including a massive 3.8-million-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center and a Target “sortation” warehouse.
Piston Automotive has a history with GM. The former was previously contracted to operate a “value-added assembly” plant at the former Palace of Auburn Hills site following a major $278 million investment. The investment is expected to create 960 new jobs.
Comments
Still cannot believe that Legacy Automakers are still getting Government subsidies for so called Hydrogen research all over the World. It has always been and continues to be laughable.
Maybe for Long Haul Semi trucks and Aviation but never gonna happen for passenger vehicles.
It’s dead.
Remember the 4.5 Dmax was just “paused” in 2008.
GM and Ev’s remind me of a gentleman I used to do business with. The first time I saw his wife my tongue Wagged over her beauty. Later, after he knew I had seen her he said “Beautiful Isn’t she?” Dumbfounded I didn’t no what to say. He said she is like a new Ferrari “Looks good, but a curse to own. Needless to say their marriage ended in a terrible divorce. So will GM and EV’s love affair.
Nice twist on the issue but off the topic.
What about the other major players in the industry.
Slower than expected adoption of the new technology doesn’t mean abandoning the development.
Last week I read an article about an ongoing Japanese hydrogen fuel cell project for automobiles in the Los Angeles area. There are [ allegedly ] 40 hydrogen refilling stations in the LA area according to the article.
I Think hydrogen is another viable alternative, but still not the answer. Right now keeping auto workers on the assembly lines is the most important thing and GM can do that by giving the buying public what it wants…ICE!