GM is investing $918 million into its U.S.-based production facilities, with four manufacturing sites set for a fresh round of upgrades. That includes the GM Bay City GPS facility in Michigan, which will receive $216 million in support of future V8 engine production.
The $216 million investment will be put towards building camshafts, connecting rods, and block / head machining, which will support future V8 engine production at the GM Flint Engine Operations plant, also located in Michigan. As GM Authority covered previously, the GM Flint Engine Operations facility was also part of the $918 million investment total, receiving $579 million to prepare the facility to produce the automaker’s sixth-generation Small Block V8 engine.
Further investments include $55 million for the GM Defiance Operations facility in Ohio, which will support preparations to build block castings for future V8 engine programs, as well as to build a casting development cell for castings in support of future EV strategies. Finally, GM has earmarked $68 million for the GM Rochester Operations plant in New York to build intake manifolds and fuel rails for future V8 production, plus upgrades to build battery pack cooling lines for new electric vehicles.
“Today we are announcing significant investments to strengthen our industry-leading lineup of full-size pickups and SUVs by preparing four U.S. facilities to build GM’s sixth-generation Small Block V8 engine,” said GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, Gerald Johnson. “These investments, coupled with the hard work and dedication of our team members in Flint, Bay City, Rochester and Defiance, enable us to build world-class products for our customers and provide job security at these plants for years to come.”
The GM Bay City GPS facility in Michigan spans some 975,000 square feet, and is located at 1001 Woodside Avenue. The facility currently employs roughly 420 workers, who are represented by UAW Local 362, with production including connecting rods, solid camshafts, and sliding camshafts for Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles.
The Bay City facility originally opened in 1892 under the National Cycle Manufacturing Company, which produced bicycles. In 1916, William Durant and Louis Chevrolet purchased the facility before it officially reopened in 1918.
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Comments
How about a sedan to put some of those V8’s in?
Seems odd that a company committed to full electrification of its fleet would invest in archaic ICE manufacturing facilities.
Not a surprise at all Sherman. GM is beginning to acknowledge the limitations of battery powered vehicles. I live in an area (7 miles from Wisconsin border) where there are a lot of equestrians who tow large trailers with up to four horses. They tow these things all over the place. Also a lot of boat people in the summer. All summer long you see hundreds of boats going North from Illinois to Wisconsin. These are not short trips and many end up in remote rural areas that now lack charging infrastructure. I read an article in a car magazine that tested an F-150 Lightning that could only go about a hundred miles with a trailer. This is totally unacceptable. GM is being smart.
P.S. I don’t work for GM or a dealer in any capacity.
yea give me a V8 then slap an electric motor on it to make the woke SJW fools go away. Screw your BEVs, if you want a disgusting BEV go buy one, don’t make me buy one.
if you want to pull that loaded trailer. you gotta have a V8 …..batteries are for flashlights and engine starters
Also us Camaro and Corvette fans out here value sports cars that can handle race tracks, not these big heavy boats that can only go fast in a straight line. BEV’s are heavy and have terrible handling.
Just for reference, here’s some lap time records on the Nurburgring:
– Tesla Model S Plaid 7:35
– Tesla Model S P85D 8:50
– Tesla Model 3 Performance 9:00
– Camaro ZL1 1LE 7:16
– Camaro ZL1 7:29
– Corvette C7 Z06 7:13
– Corvette C8 base model 7:29
BEVs have TERRIBLE handling.
LoL comparing sedans against a sport coupe doesn’t reach the conclusion you think it does.
Batteries are for flashlights, not for sports cars >=]
How do you think GM is paying for the transition to EV? By selling overpriced ICE gas guzzling HD trucks!
Here is the deal GM is marketing the EV models as that is the true Future but if you note they are working to make most models ICE and EV in duel models. Two Blazers, Nox and Silverado already.
What GM is not stating out loud is they will try to keep ICE viable in as many models as possible for as long as they can. The Corvettes and Trucks likely will be the last but they are years off from seeing ICE end totally.
So many get worked up on all this when you really need to watch what GM is doing not what they are saying. Other MFGs have already expressed they may split off the ICE and EV lines.
The auto makers really want to keep ICE and will try as long as they can to keep them but EV is where they know they will end up. They will try to make the transition as long as possible,
Much like the end of the Camaro. GM really has never said much other than the present car would end. Other said there were no plans. Now they are saying there may be a line of several Camaro models.
GM is a very closed company anymore. Very seldom leaks happen. It used to be people like Al Oppenheimer used to brag about coming product but he and others are no longer sharing.
All I can say is sit back and watch as that is how you will see where they are going.
As for this V8 don’t get too crazy putting it in other models. Truck volume alone justifies the production. The company still faces very strict CAFE and emissions numbers. Gas Guzzler tax’s may be common.
Great news for bay city.
Agreed! Considering all of gm’s downsizings over the years and plants that closed great to see this old plant still going strong!
Both of my grandfathers worked in the Bay City plant when I was very very young.. Back then it did Chrome work. In fact I had a 76 Camaro that had Chrome center caps on the wheels and if you took them off and looked inside there was a bow tie with the letters BC in the middle.
I am way more interested in the new turbo charged inline six that was on here a few months ago.
Inline six cylinder engines are way more cool than a v8.
From every indication, that’s not in the works. What vehicle would that go in anyways? They already have an online 4 that displaces just under 3L, and adding 2 more cylinders to that would make it longer than the 3Ldiesel. It wouldn’t even fit in the Silverado or suburban, which the suburban doesn’t offer the 3L duramax in the Z71 package because it’s length impedes the lower protection plates. It wouldn’t fit in the Colorado/canyon or any Cadillac. They are looking to maximize the number of vehicles per engine so a large displacement I6 would be a very unique engine indeed.
well…. most inline 6 turbo engines are around 3.0L in displacement. GM has an inline 4 turbo that’s 2.7L, which is almost as big as a 6 cylinder engine in displacement. I’m really hoping that 2.7T engine makes its way into the 7th gen Camaro base model.
I wonder if GM still owns the trademark for the “Blue Flame Six”?
Wow, just from two articles so far, in sum, the amount of investment for new version of SB V8 is well over billion dollar! Anybody knows that why slightly updated version of a 70 years of tech piece requires that much investment? it’s like they are inventing V8 from the clean sheet. They’rereplacing all the tooling? Why? In reality ,they ended up just tuning a couple components of it to run just a little bit more efficiently. Am i the only one struggling to get this seemingly squandering?
How much did they squander on the Blackwing V8?
The Blackwing engine is a mystery for me too. These companies preach about money and budgets, and yet they spent SO much money developing that engine only to build a handful and then abandon it.
I don’t get it.
I don’t think GM spent much capitol on that engine. It was hand-built in Bowling Green. They turned a problem into a PR success.
So many different stories about the LTA engine online. One story says it cost $16 million to develop. Another story says they were $20k each to manufacture.
Truth? Only GM knows for sure.
Seeing your name reminds me of the good old days, you were great to work with.
that LTA Blackwing engine on paper sounds like such a good idea. 4.2L V8 twin turbo. It’s almost like they slapped 2x LTG inline 4 2.0L twin scroll turbo engines together in a V formation. I would love to see that on a future vehicle too… lightweight, small displacement twin turbo V8……… 20psi boost (stock), just like the LTG too
The next gas burning V8 to go into the next gen HD trucks will be bigger than the current version.
Now annouce a 7th gen Camaro with one of those new V8s!
7th gen Camaro is coming… I can smell it in the air.
GM is the best.
Camaro is the best.
There is nothing better than a Camaro.
I’ll take 1 Camaro over 100 Ferraris.
Mary Barra is the greatest CEO in human history.