GM to invest $163 million in three plants

Zach Bowman — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Earnings/Financials

General Motors is investing $163.2 million three plants as it prepares to ramp up engine production for the Chevrolet Volt, Cruze and a new small Chevrolet. The company's Flint Engine Operations will take home the lion's share of the money, with $138.3 million going to help boost production of the Ecotec turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine used in each of the company's fuel-thrifty cars. Meanwhile, The General's Bay City Components plant will receive $12.7 million and Defiance Castings in Defiance, Ohio will see $12.2 million. All told, GM says that the money will protect 184 jobs across the three manufacturing sites.

At the beginning of 2011, the Flint plant will be responsible for producing around 400 engines per day, though GM wants to increase that number to 800 by the end of next year. The Bay City plant is set to increase production of both connecting rods and cam shafts while the Defiance facility will increase its output of crank shafts and engine blocks. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: General Motors]

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GM to invest $163 million in three plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: GM cancels contracts for Cruze/Volt engine plant

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevy Cruze and its new 1.4L Turbo engine

The bad news just keeps on coming for General Motors and Flint, Michigan. It was reported late last night that construction contracts for the new $370 million engine plant that was going up in Flint have been canceled. GM actually stopped work on the project in early December. The plant was to produce the new 1.4-liter four cylinder engine for the 2011 Chevy Cruze and Volt. GM spokeswoman Sharon Basel told AutoblogGreen that the intention all along had been for engines for the early production runs of the Cruze and Volt to be supplied from a European facility that already builds variants of GM's so-called "Family 0" powertrains. The Flint plant would not have been ready for start of production of Cruze next spring.

With the continuing financial crisis and weak sales, GM's European factory has enough capacity to supply Cruze and Volt for a time so that the automaker can conserve capital. The timing of construction was reaching a point where GM would have had to commit to spending millions of additional dollars that it doesn't have right now. Therefore, the company has opted to cancel the contracts and put the plant on hold until the situation improves. In the meantime, both vehicle programs are still on schedule and otherwise unaffected by these moves.

Gallery: GM Flint Powertrain 1.4L engine

[Source: WJRT-TV 12, AutoblogGreen]

BREAKING: GM cancels contracts for Cruze/Volt engine plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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