GM drives Socal expansion with their latest announcement to build a new campus in Pasadena, California.
The campus will be home to GM’s Advanced Design Center operations. So, the automotive giant plans to invest more than $71 million dollars to build the campus. Currently, their Design Center is located in North Hollywood.
Why The New Design Center?
The 149,000 square-foot facility will increase the center’s capacity and create more jobs in the area. Plus, it will make room for expanded advanced technology teams. Thus accelerating GM’s goal of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.
In addition, GM drives SoCal expansion by taking advantage of the new location to recruit top regional talent in disciplines of aerospace engineering, defense, automotive design, software development, and advanced technology.
GM Drives New Design Center In SoCal
What Does the GM Advanced Design Center Do?
So, GM’s advanced design team focuses on developing concepts and future mobility projects. Creating alternative mobility applications can reveal opportunities for transformative innovation and serve as growth opportunities for future GM products and services.
For example, below are some innovation and design work projects linked to GM’s growth strategy:
- BrightDrop – Backed by GM, the company offers a system of connected products targeting first- and last-mile delivery customers. FedEx is slated to be its first customer.
- Cadillac – Developing a personal autonomous concept vehicle and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
- The Lunar Rover Concept – The concept transports astronauts on the surface of the moon.
Updates For Advanced GM Design
Also, GM says that the new expansion will provide the latest tools, equipment, and workspaces to encourage collaboration and ideation. For example:
- A more efficient layout, designed to lessen disruptions and increase efficiency of the various paint, metal, and plastic workshops
- An increased footprint allowing for improved output of physical and virtual proof of concepts and show cars
- The ability to rapidly pilot visual and immersive technology, including augmented and virtual reality
- An innovation lab for designing, implementing, and validating new design tools
- An advanced user experience/user interface design studio
- Dedicated collaboration, research, and development space for strategic internal and external GM partnerships
While GM drives Socal expansion with the Pasadena campus, at the same time it is part of GM Design’s broader global expansion. GM’s new Design West facility is currently under construction at the Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, and GM recently announced the expansion of the Advanced Design Center in Shanghai, China.
Opinion: GM Drives Socal Expansion
All things considered, it’s great to see automotive manufacturers use their technology and resources to bring about new ideas. Especially here in Southern California.
Consumers are expecting more out of their cars as technology advances. GM is smart to start investing in other areas to anticipate their customer needs.
And since many companies are leaving California. It’s nice to see one, especially an American company, increasing its footprint in the Golden State.
