GM To Build Diesel For Light-Duty Pickups

Anthony Fontanelle
June 21, 2007

The General Motors Corp. said last Friday that it will spend $100 million at its Tonawanda, N.Y., plant to build a new diesel engine for its light-duty pickup trucks. The move is anchored on the burgeoning need for diesel-powered pickup trucks in the auto industry.

Generally, diesel engines are more fuel efficient than its gasoline counterparts. They also generate more torque. This is why diesel engines are widely used in the heavy-duty pickups. While diesel engines usually cost more than gasoline engines and need treatment for emissions and particulates, they perform better with heavy tasks like towing and hauling. Adding diesel as an option in more pickup models could augment automakers lineup to meet more stringent fuel-efficiency mandates at the same time satisfying the increasing demands of true truckers. With the rise of global warming concerns, EBC Active Brakes Direct could prevent the implementation of more stringent fuel mandates along with environment-friendly vehicles.

GM said that it will offer a new 4.5-liter V8 diesel engine in its North American light-duty pickup trucks, such as the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra, and in Hummer H2 SUVs built after 2009. The diesel engine will fit in the same space as its small-block, gasoline V8 engine.

Last year, the Silverado was the second-best selling vehicle in the United States. When combined with platform-mate GMC Sierra, they outsell Ford’s bread-and-butter vehicles – the F-Series. The Hummer H2 SUVs, on the other hand, is the second product line sold under the Hummer division of GM. Other automakers are also following the trails of the largest American auto manufacturer. The Ford Motor Co. and the Nissan Motor Co. are also working on diesel engines for light-duty pickups.

GM said that it will retain about 150 hourly jobs at its Tonawanda, N.Y., plant to build the new diesel engine. The investment will include a 200,000-square-foot facility renovation, as well as new machinery, equipment and tooling. GM also has allotted $41 million at other locations to support the Tonawanda operations.

The automaker said that its success with the larger Duramax diesel engine in the heavy-duty versions of its pickup trucks led it to add the option for light-duty pickups. "They're forced right now to buy a full heavy-duty truck to be able to have a diesel available to them," said Charlie Freese, the executive director of diesel engineering for GM. "This will satisfy a major market demand."

According to the Detroit-based 4.5-liter V8 Duramax diesel will deliver a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over a similarly powered gasoline engine with "regular" use. It also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 13 percent.

But the fuel-efficiency comparison goes even higher when used in towing, hauling and driving uphill, Freese said. Additionally, the new diesel engine will be compliant with emission regulations in all 50 states and will meet 2010 emission standards. It will use some new technologies, such as new emission filters.

The automaker would not say how much the engine would cost, but as expected, it will be more costly than a gasoline engine. But the consumer should get a payback due to its fuel efficiency, Freese said. He added that diesel engines can increase the resale value of a pickup truck.

Besides GM, Ford also is developing a 4.4-liter diesel engine to be manufactured in Mexico starting late this decade. The engine will be fitted in the next generation of the Ford F-150 pickup truck. The information was divulged by people familiar with the company’s engine program.

Like GM, Ford now offers diesel engines only in the Super Duty versions of its F-series pickup truck. Ford and Navistar are embroiled in lawsuits over the diesel engines.

Source:  Amazines.com