GM To Invest $100M In New Diesel Plant

Anthony Fontanelle
June 21, 2007

The General Motors Corp. will invest $100 million in its Tonawanda, New York State engine plant to produce an all-new, 4.5-litre V-8 Duramax diesel engine for the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks as well as for the HUMMER H2.

By comparison with the existing Duramax unit, the engine will enhance engine fuel efficiency by 25 percent, reduce CO2 emissions by 13 percent and slash particulates and NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for GM’s North American market light duty trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009. This will be GM’s first engine to use a selective catalytic reduction NOx aftertreatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve the Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards.

At present, the largest American automaker currently offers 17 diesel engine variants in 45 vehicle lines around the world. Additionally, GM sells more than one million diesel engines annually, ranging from the 1.3L four-cylinder diesel engines sold in the Vauxhall/Opel Agila and the Corsa to the 6.6L V-8 Duramax diesel supplied in its full-size vans, heavy duty and medium duty pickup trucks in the United States. GM first introduced the Duramax diesel 6.6L V-8 in the U.S. in the 2001 model year, since when GM’s heavy duty pickup truck market share has amplified nearly tenfold.

Aside from expanding investments, the Detroit-based automaker is also focusing on the introduction of its Chevrolet Volt Concept. The revolutionary concept vehicle made its Canadian debut today at the Energy and Environment Conference (EECO) in Toronto. The technologically-advanced and elegant Volt has the capability to virtually eliminate the need for commuters to refuel.

"If you are like most Canadians who live and work within a 64 kilometer round trip the Volt is a gas free, emission free car," said David Paterson, the vice president for corporate and environmental affairs, General Motors of Canada. "Drivers will simply unplug and go each morning - much as we do with our cell phones today."

The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can generate 64 kilometers of pure electric vehicle range. If drivers need to travel more than 64 kilometers, a range extending power source (which produces electricity from gasoline, hydrogen, ethanol, or biodiesel fuels) effortlessly kicks in to recharge the lithium ion battery pack when required, for a striking driving range of over 1,000 kilometers.

"At GM we believe that tomorrow's automobile must be flexible to accommodate many different energy sources and choices for consumers, and a key part of that flexibility will be enabled by electrically driven cars," added Paterson. "With battery contracts in place and a dedicated team of engineers, General Motors is moving to bring the Volt closer to reality."

He added, “The signing of advanced development battery contracts and our announcement to move fuel cell engineers from research and development work to our powertrain and engineering organizations for the E-Flex system are the latest proof points in GM's commitment to providing more green choices for consumers.”

Canada's most affordable hybrid SUV and mid-sedan - the Saturn Vue and Aura Green Line hybrids, and the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid, to be introduced later this year. Chevrolet pickup transfer case lowering kits were warmly appreciated by the Canadians. The automaker has also announced two-mode hybrid versions of the new Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon set to arrive this fall and a two-mode hybrid version of the Oshawa-made Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups in 2008. GM's new two-mode hybrid pickups will be the first hybrids ever built in Canada.

Source:  Amazines.com