DETROIT — General Motors said it has signed on with telecommunications giant Verizon to install 5G technology at its assembly plant in Detroit.
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service is operating now at GM’s electric vehicle plant, Factory Zero, according to a GM statement Friday.
“Factory Zero will be GM’s flagship assembly plant in our journey to an all-electric future,” Phil Kienle, GM vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations, said in the statement.
GM Chief Information Officer Randy Mott told Automotive News in an email that GM plants are advancing and a fast, reliable network is a significant part of the plan.
The technology will support the use of thousands of devices while increasing speed as the plant prepares for production of the GMC Hummer EV and Cruise Origin.
A GM spokesman said Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have implemented 5G technology in European plants, but GM is the first to have the technology in a U.S. automotive plant.
Mott said GM is already accelerating EV development and plans to offer 30 all-electric models globally by mid-decade.
“In manufacturing, the 5G network supports quality, safety and other systems in the plant, with plenty of upside capacity for further innovations we can add in the future,” he said.
