General Motors is investing $918 million in four U.S. plants to expand production of V8 engines for small full-size pickups and large SUVs, and to manufacture component parts for electric vehicles.
GM made the announcement Friday at the Flint Engine Plant where GM leaders, UAW leaders and Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist gathered. As part of the investment, new products will be built at his two plants in Michigan, the Flint Engine Operations and the Bay City Powertrain facility.
Of the $918 million, $854 million will prepare a facility to build GM’s sixth-generation small block V-8 engine, which will be used in Chevrolet Camaros, small pickups and large SUVs, according to GM. used to An additional $64 million will be invested in the Rochester, New York, and Defiance, Ohio operations to manufacture castings and components to support GM’s EV production.
GM spokesman Dan Flores said the focus of all investments is job retention. In total, this means about 2,400 union and salaried jobs will be preserved.
Flores also said these investments will help GM strengthen its full-size pickup and SUV businesses. Because this new V-8 engine gives GM vehicles a performance edge in a highly competitive market segment, GM’s pickup and SUV sales are key to GM’s profits, and GM’s 2035 It aims to move to a zero-emission lineup by 2020, which will help fund GM’s EV development. GM said in a media release: An upgrade to GM’s next-generation V-8 engine has not been released at this time. ”
“These investments, combined with the hard work and dedication of our team members in Flint, Bay City, Rochester and Defiance, will help us build world-class products for our customers and provide job security at these factories for years to come. said Gerald Johnson, GM’s executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability.
The breakdown of the investment is as follows.
- Flint engine operation: GM employs 709 people at Flint Engine. GM plans to invest his $579 million to prepare a plant to assemble sixth-generation small-block V-8 gasoline engines and prepare engine parts for final engine assembly. Construction work at the facility will begin soon, and Flint will continue to manufacture the 3.0-liter turbodiesel used in GM’s full-size lightweight pickups during the refurbishment.
- bay city: GM, which employs 425 people at the plant, has invested $216 million to replace the camshafts, connecting rods, and machinery used to make engine blocks and heads in the Flint engine. For future production use.
- Operation Defiance, Ohio: GM, which employs 530 people at Defiance, is investing $55 million in the facility. Of that, $47 million will cover the cost of preparing the facility to build the block castings that will be sent to Flint Engine for manufacturing. The investment includes his $8 million for Defiance to cast metal parts for future EVs.
- Rochester Operations, New York: GM employs 745 people in Rochester. We have invested $68 million in it, of which $12 million will be used to prepare the plant to manufacture other components for future V-8 production with Flint engines. GM plans to spend $56 million to prepare a facility to manufacture battery pack components for EVs.
Some workers at Flint Engine said the investment would provide job security in the future, people familiar with the investment told the Free Press on Thursday. These people requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media. But they said contractors have been doing preparatory work on the Flint engine for about three months. they said.
Flores declined to speculate about future employment, stressing that the focus of these current investments is job retention at the four locations.
Flint Engines currently manufactures 1.5 liter turbo diesel engines for the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and 3.0 liter turbo diesel engines for the small Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, and the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon large SUVs.
GM’s last major investment in Flint Engine was in 2015, when it invested $263 million in a factory to build a new engine line. For 2019, GM has assigned Flint his Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel for lightweight pickups. Nearby, GM builds the rugged Silverado and Sierra at its Flint assembly plant.
In a statement, UAW President Ray Curry said: , Ohio) and 1097 (Rochester, NY). The skills and dedication of UAW members have been an important part of his GM’s success, and this investment recognizes that members will continue to be an important part of his GM’s future. ”
GM announced in September that it would invest $760 million in its Toledo Propulsion Systems plant to prepare it for manufacturing drive units that will be used in future GM EVs. These drive units will be used in the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, his 2024 GMC Sierra EV, and now his GMC Hummer EV. GM’s Factory Zero, which spans Detroit and Hamtramck, currently builds Hummers and will build the Silverado EV, along with Orion Assembly in Orion Township.
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Jamie L. LaReau: Please contact jlareau@freepress.com. follow her on her twitter @Jalaroan. Read more from General Motors and sign up for our automotive newsletter. Become a subscriber.