GM just announced a new round of investments for four of its U.S.-based production facilities, with investments slated to support production of GM’s next-generation Small Block V8, as well as castings and components for new EV production. The ICE side of the equation includes $579 million for GM’s Flint Engine plant in Flint, Michigan.
The $579 million investment will be used to upgrade the GM Flint Engine plant to produce the automaker’s new sixth-generation, gasoline-powered Small Block V8 engine, as well as the related block, crank, and head machining. Renovations at the facility will begin immediately.
The GM Flint Engine plant currently produces the 3.0L I6 LM2 turbodiesel Duramax engine and 3.0L I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax engine. According to GM, the Flint facility will continue to build diesel engines as renovations are made to support next-gen V8 production. To note, the 3.0L I6 LM2 is currently available in GM’s full-size SUV models, including the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade, among others. Meanwhile, the 3.0L I6 LZ0 is currently available in the light-duty Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks.
GM declined to provide any details on the next-generation Small Block V8 engine set for production at the GM Flint facility.
The GM Flint engine plant first opened in 2002, and spans some 1,165,212 square feet. Located at 2100 Bristol Road, the facility employs roughly 700 workers, who are represented by UAW Local 659.
The latest investment for the Flint facility is part of a broader $918 million investment for four of GM’s U.S. production facilities, which also includes investments for the GM Bay City GPS facility in Michigan, the GM Defiance facility in Ohio, and the GM Rochester facility in New York. The new round of investments brings GM’s U.S. manufacturing commitments to over $37 billion since 2013, which also includes investments through the Ultium Cells LLC joint venture with LG Energy.
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Comments
Awesome! About time they ease up on the “all EV” nonsense. Options are a good thing.
They’ve always said the trucks would be the last to convert. No new news.
By the time 2035 rolls around, they’re not going to discontinue the gas engine then either. Cleaner fuels will be available and the physical limitations of EVs won’t be overcome then, either.
Right on! I also exspect that the goalposts will be moved and when their EV sales are still low by 2035, they will say, “we have EV options in every segment, so everyone CAN buy one, not everyone is buying one.
This also goes to my greater point about 2035 being a redicoulous “off gas” target. Gas will continue to Innovate. Ford will need to respond, as will ram. These new engines will push LION BEV’s back down as LION BEV’s are already struggling against last generations engines. Solid state batteries will come out, and make BEV’s competitive again in time for the next generation of ICE engines
On the goal post moving:
Let me add the words, “continue to”. In order for the infrastructure to be ready, it needs addressing, -starting immediately, to meet the projected need for ‘then’, -which isn’t happening fast enough(Sorry people!). And the battery technology still isn’t quite there yet. And, as long as those 2 things are not there(present) yet, the goal posts are not standing still!
On the Ultium:
Yes, the battery technology continues to evolve, and solid state is the latest and greatest, -as well as development of capacitors. These new Ultium existing plants will be able to convert to the latest battery technology and that won’t be a problem.
Can you expand on this “cleaner fuel” a bit please?
Ever heard of biodiesel? 95 octane? E50? Course I think it’s BS that CO2 is a pollutant. It’s what trees grow from and is in our bloodstreams.
Let’s check your blood chlorophyll level if you don’t think it’s a pollutant.
CO2 is a waste in our blood streams, and if you don’t discharge it you’re in for problems.
Battery 🤢 electric 🤢🤢 vehicle 🤮🤮🤮
When using those three words together in one sentence, I get projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea at the same time.
I’m dubious that there is any improvement left to be made to the V-8 after 90 years of development. Efficiency of gas cars stalled at about 27 mpg twenty years ago.
Looks like lots of things peaked about then.
what you’re missing is the business angle. How many more sales will be due to a marginally better V-8? The potential EV market is enormous. That’s where future company-saving profits have to come from, not this dinosaur technology.
With the new E-Ray coming on board, this should allow for gm to have an optional V8 Engine matted to a Hybrid Powertrain for the upcoming Next Gen. Silverado in 2025, a good alternative for those who are not ready to go All EV.
I’ve been saying here every chance I get that GM is not abandoning internal combustion anytime soon if ever, they have a “foot in both camps“ strategy. New ice engines, new ice vehicles for them to go in, for the Foreseeable future.
That is great news though it is almost bitter sweet for me. I really like the powerband of turbocharged engines. The low end is hard to beat. Nothing against the 2.7 4-cyl but it obviously was a half assed attempt at building a real turbo truck engine in my opinion. On the other hand if they pull out all the stops I think NA V8s will always be competitive and desirable. What Ford has done with the Coyote is pretty phenomenal on only 5.0L. It is basically a match to the 6.2 at this point. Either way I am excited to hear more about this new generation!!
It’s not a match in any ways. The 6.2 thrashes the coyote heavily. Ford has always played the “on paper” game. The coyote makes great power and torque for an instant at 6700 RPM’s. The small block with the exception of the 4th gen makes great power and torque every where.
I think you don’t give that 2.7 enough credit. It makes more torque than Ford’s 2.7 V6 and their own 5.3 V8 and has a spectacular turbo that spools up extremely quickly.
It’s all in the engine build. The 2.7 makes more torque than the 5.3 as offered. It’s pretty easy to add torque to the 5.3, but the 5.3 is built as a tank of a motor, and isn’t a very hot engine. There are 5.3 builds that make 450+ tq and 500+ HP with natural aspiration.
7th Gen Camaro V8 please?
And for crying out loud, give Buick a “Grand National” V8 sedan like the 5-Blackwing.
Mary’s uprooting of GM’s heritage is a serious miscalculation that will hurt the company for decades.
Dear god, please give us a 7th gen Camaro with an internal combustion engine. Keep it on the Alpha2 platform, give us the 2.7L turbo as the base model and a naturally aspirated V8 for the SS.
If the 7th Gen were to arrive with a V8. It would ride on the VSS-R platform.
Thats possible, considering how gm is proposing the Camaro be it’s own brand.
Some of us have been saying to the EV haters that ICE will not be going away any time soon. I’m ok if you don’t like EV. But please be ok with others who do like EV. They can and should co-exist. This is just proof that the ICE will be around for a very long time. GM wouldn’t invest nearly 600 million into a new V8 just to drop it in 8 to 10 years.
With cleaner fuels, more efficient engines and new technology, we will see ICE getting better and better. But my overall dream team would still be a really efficient small diesel engine paired with a plug in hybrid system where you could run just on diesel, just electric or both and still get over 100 MPG average. Kind of the diesel-Volt system please!
I have been saying that for years. Build a large SUV and pickup with a small diesel to run a generator when the battery pack runs low. It is how train locomotives operate minus the battery pack. Ram is going to attempt a small ICE engine in their new EV. I think others will follow if it works out.
You mean something like the Volt.
You mean like the Volt was?
I want them all. EV’s make sense for a lot of things and I would like to park one in our garage next to my twin turbo truck and highly modified, cammed small block car.
Ya’ll looking to make this into a EV vs ICE war are doing it all wrong.
Mr. Mike: Agree. It would be great to have those who love ICE and those who love EV to both get nice selections and all be happy. My biggest thing is to have them both exist together while both becoming much more efficient and green from inception to their (car) grave. And yes, that certainly means that the EV’s must become way better in that department when it comes to the production and charging side.
Yes, each has its purpose. Both are main vehicles here are getting long in the tooth. We’re looking forward to seeing the Equinox EV for running around within 100 miles of the house, and then I might pick up a Yukon with the Duramax for longer trips and my work. We’d be cutting our fuel costs enormously. Just wish they could fit the Duramax in the AT4.
The thought that anyone thinks EV’s or efficient ICE are going to save the planet is dumbfounding.
Other than i Dissagree that PHEV vehicles are actually cleaner. As well as desiel electrics. Phevs are epa rated in MPGe, which is a lie and over inlflated and doesn’t account for grid inefficiencies.
Electro motive drives in trained are not as effective as modern transmissions. Trains use electro motive drives because they are slightly more efficient than torque converters, and less problematic than an eaton 18 speed. In reality the new 10 speed ford/GM transmission, or even the older 6 and 4’s were more efficient than electro motive transmissions. Look how pure hybrids with efficient Atkinson engines running super thin 0W16 oil with electro motive drives get the same highway mileage as a normal car of the same size with an automatic.
What will likely by the motor of the future will be ceramic engines with high compression HCCI and a solid state hybrid like the Vette Eray for your average car, and a mild hybrid like Ram etorque for cheaper applications.
There are plenty of reservations out there for those who are willing to go with an All Electric Silverado or Sierra, if I were to get one it would be the Sierra Elevation EV, unlike the Hummer EV hopefully there is room for negotiations in terms of price options.
This is great news on the V8 and diesel production lines. The large SUVs and pickups are the only thing that will keep these car companies in the black once they learn the hard way that folks that want these vehicles will never switch over to EVs due to towing and taking them on long distance trips. Automakers are going to lose a ton of money on this EV fantasy when they realize their mistake rushing these vehicles to market without enough materials and tech to keep the prices low.
Wait so the 2026 Silverado/Sierra engines Have been confirmed?
let’s wait until 2025 To find out
I heard rumors of an i6 turbo based on the 2.7, which would also be awesome. If they had a good boosted 6 cylinder and v8 it would be a good start.
Not sure what meat is left on the v8 bone though. I would think the 3v small block would finally become a reality. No one really cares if the next gen v8 is another 5.3 pumping out 370hp.
They have dozens of options, but I doubt the 3 valve is needed. 5th gen small blocks have no head flow problems and are every bit as good as a 4 valve until in excess of 5000 rpm. Even then, look how the 6.2 LT2 blows away the coyote.
Things that they can do to the small block. To improve power and efficiency
1, VVL. Used in 4cylinders and Ferrari V8/10’s. Would be incredible if they figured out a reliable way to add this to a pushrod V
2, offset crank to reduce friction
3, thermally insulated combustion chamber
4, electric water pump/active thermal Managment
5, HCCI, which GM had test units in 2008 that were successful, yet “unrefined”
6, Homogenous stratified charge.
And 2 more radical ideas that GM patented but would be dramatic departures in small block design,
7, variable compression true Atkinson cycle, which works like Nissans VC engine, but differs with the linkage going to the crankshaft
8, a true miller cycle engine with a compression ratio of 15:1 with a supercharger, more expensive, but more potent.
Any one of these options are on the table. An engine that’s used most of not all of these could theoretically be 30-40% more efficient and significantly more powerful. Adding all these features however would be exspensive so likely 3-4 of these features will be on the new generation.
The LT2 has 1.2L more displacement than the 5.0 Coyote. The Ford is more efficient and the LT6 proves that DOHC squeezes more power from the same displacement. If u recall, the LT4 needed .7L more displacement AND an SC to make ALMOST the same HP.
The ford 5.0 burns more gas than the 6.2, in the camaro, and the ford F150 with all aluminum body, power air damn and smaller cross section gets basically the same MPG with much less power.
The 6.2 also blows away the power of the 5.0 in every application.
Both the coyote and the LT5 are DOHC, and have less displacement than the small blocks, but you got to understand that the small block acts very differently. The LT6 makes very little torque down low, and the only way it makes power is by staying above 6000 RPMs. It uses the fact it has an 8 speed automatic to constantly change gears to keep in its small power band. Ditto with the coyote which is really weezy and unlike the LT6, isn’t a flat plane crank and can’t spin to 8100 rpms and has an even shorter power band. Small blocks have a very wide power band and can find a gear and sit there. You also forget the real reason that GM is forgoing the LT4/5. That is because many GT race classes don’t allow for turbo/super chargers or any displacement above 6L, so the Z06 with the LT4 was ineligible. Remember the predicessor to the LT6 was the lemans engine. In reality the C8 would have way faster on the drag strip with an LT5 than the LT6.
This is probably GM’s last chance to make what I would consider the perfect car. 6th gen V8, manual transmission and either a roomy 2 door or 4 door. Add a nice big screen, cranking audio system and nice interior.
I would have kept a 2 door G8 or SS sedan forever with a manual. SS sedan is close but to pay that much for a LS3 sedan in 2017 without all the features even a Camaro had was just silly.
Of course they probably won’t do it and if they do there will be glaringly obvious oversights. But a guy can dream.
I would have kept a 2 door G8 or SS sedan forever with a manual.
You mean the GTO…
At this point with all the issues with DFM, l am hoping a NA 5.5 without a flat plane crank and DOHC. Hopefully they investigate the whoas of Ford Triton Cam Phasers and avoid the pitfalls.
Mary Barra is the greatest CEO of all time.
Good news for the people of Flint.
That’s nearly equivalent wishful thinking along with those of us who would love to see the Firebird officially come back to the market. Other than the Camaro and Corvette, in this day and age if the vehicles don’t have 4 doors, it probably won’t get built.
Please, Mary, put this latest V8 in a new El Camino with optional AWD.
WHY NOT DEVELOPE THE “FLUX CAPACITOR”?
Now that GM has a well established lineup of EV vehicles to compete with all other manufacturers, they can get back on track and concentrate on manufacturing more vehicles and parts here in the USA. If all US manufacturers were self sufficient and produced there own parts they wouldn’t be waiting for parts to complete the vehicles that’s been sitting on lots month after month. Can’t sell them from the storage lots!
Mary first things first, send some chips to finish building2022 truck and auto out here missing them and quit building 2003. but no GM starts building the same vehicles. with the chips in place for 2023 and ignores the missing chips for my 2022 Sierra1500SLT. it was told to me it would send to dealer to be installed in the fourth quarter of 2022 it now well into the first quarter of 2023 and i have not heard yet.GM customer service leaves a lot to desire at the least. I’m trying to be nice. there I’ve got my two cents worth in!!
I hope they offer the NEW diesel Duramax in GMC vans! I’ll take it.
I hope they will offer the new Duramax Diesel in a GMC van. I’ll take it!
Remember there was a similar debate in the early 1900’s as to whether gas or electric cars were going to be dominant. Battery technology at that time was dismal, and the ICE was the best way to go in the real world at that time. Battery technology has improved significantly but I think is still 1 or 2 more steps away from total dominance. Bob Lutz I think had the best solution for the transition with the Volt. I still think that’s the best way forward. From the vigorous discussions in this forum, I hope the engineers will start doing what the car industry demanded of them when Detroit automakers ruled the industry. The design of the Volt was a great first attempt and I think is still a good way forward. I’m excited that GM has decided not to put all its eggs in the “electric basket”. Exciting times are ahead.
When you have an over 65 years of a proven foundation for an engine family, it only makes sense to improve on it. FORD, CHRYSLER, and TOYOTA want to go the turbo 6 route that may not sit well with people who prefer a traditional time tested V8 non turbo engine. There is strong speculation that RAM will offer the upcoming CUMMINS gasoline engine in the HD line along with the squabbling that the HEMI’s days are numbered. As always, time will tell.
Make a no frills v8 for cheap and watch them fly off the lot.