This afternoon General Motors announced that they will be building an all new 4.5L V-8 turbo-diesel starting in 2009. This is the new engine that Dr. Gary Smyth alluded to in our recent interview. The new engine meets all Tier 2 Bin 5 requirements for 2010 and beyond meaning it will be fifty state legal. The new twin cam 32 valve engine is specifically designed to fit within the same packaging envelope as the current small block V-8 that is widely used in the the GM lineup.
The new engine will appear first in the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra and Hummer H2 starting at the end of 2009. Because the new engine can fit anywhere a small-block does it can fit in a wide array of vehicles including the upcoming rear drive Zeta platform that will be used for the next generation Impala and many other cars. The new Duramax will be rated at over 310 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque.
As part of the announcement GM also revealed that they will invest $100 million in their Tonawanda engine plant near Niagara Falls to build the new diesel. This is the second big investment this year for the Tonawanda plant after the earlier announcement that they will build a new twin cam V-8 to replace the current NorthStar used in various GM luxury vehicles. The new diesel engine will provide a twenty-five percent improvement in fuel efficiency and thirteen percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to gas engines in the same vehicles. Now if they would just mate this up with the two-mode hybrid system, we'd have a real killer combination. Two GM press releases are after the jump.
[Source: General Motors]
GM Plans First Light Duty V-8 Clean Diesel for North America
- High-efficiency V-8 scheduled for pickup trucks under 8,600 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight and HUMMER H2
- Low emissions, high performance and excellent fuel economy
- Expected to deliver class-leading torque, power and refinement
- Manufactured at the GM Powertrain Tonawanda engine plant
TONAWANDA, N.Y. – General Motors Corp. will introduce a new, state-of-the-art 4.5L V-8 Duramax turbo-diesel that improves engine fuel efficiency by 25 percent, reduces CO2 emissions by 13 percent and cuts particulates and NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for North American light duty trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009.
The premium V-8 diesel is expected to deliver class-leading torque, power and refinement while maintaining a significant fuel efficiency advantage over comparable-output gasoline engines.
The new dual-overhead cam, four-valve V-8 diesel engine will fit within the same space of a small-block V-8 gasoline engine. This compact size is made possible by using integral cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover intake manifolds and a narrow block.
"This new GM light duty diesel is expected to become a favorite among customers who require excellent towing ability and fuel efficiency," said Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Quality. "It will meet the stringent 2010 emissions standards, and it will be compliant in all 50 states, making it one of the cleanest diesel vehicles ever produced."
Environmental benefits of the new engine include a 13-percent reduction in CO2 versus gasoline engines, and at least a 90-percent reduction in particulates and NOx compared to diesel vehicles today. 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.
Technical highlights of the engine include aluminum cylinder heads with integrated manifolding; a variable-vane turbocharger with intercooling; a Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) block for a stronger and lighter engine base (compared to lower-strength aluminum or heavier grey cast iron); and fracture-split main bearing caps and connecting rods for a precise fit. An electronically controlled, ultra-high-pressure, common-rail fuel system is used, which has the ability to inject fuel five times per combustion event to control noise and emissions.
"This new V-8 is not only a clean diesel meeting the toughest emissions requirements in North America, it also delivers an effortless performance feel because of its high torque across the speed range," said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM Powertrain Diesel Engineering. "It is also significantly quieter than other diesels on the road today, with noise and vibration performance approaching gasoline V-8 levels."
Freese said the new V-8's compact size enables it to fit in the envelope of a gasoline small-block engine, which provides GM the flexibility to introduce this engine in a wide variety of vehicle applications should there be future market demand.
The premium V-8 diesel engine is expected to deliver class-leading refinement, horsepower and torque and fulfill multiple vehicle applications with ratings in excess of 310 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque.
GM (Opel, Saab, Vauxhall and GMDAT ) currently offers 17 diesel engine variants in 45 vehicle lines around the world. GM sells more than one million diesel engines annually, with products that offer a range of choices from the 1.3L four-cylinder diesel engine sold in the Opel Agila and Corsa, up to the 6.6L V-8 Duramax diesel sold in full-size vans, heavy duty pickups and medium duty trucks in the U.S.
GM first introduced the Duramax diesel 6.6L V-8 in the U.S. in the 2001 model year and since then, customer enthusiasm for this heavy duty diesel has been outstanding. In fact, GM's heavy duty pickup truck market share has jumped nearly tenfold in the six years that Duramax engines have been offered.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
GM To Invest $100 Million In New York Plant For Diesel Engine Production
TONAWANDA , N.Y. – General Motors Corp. will invest $100 million in its Tonawanda engine plant to produce an all-new, 4.5-liter V-8 Duramax high-output diesel engine for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks and the HUMMER H2. The engine fuel efficiency improves by 25 percent when compared with gasoline engines. Environmental benefits of the new engine include a 13-percent reduction in CO2 versus gasoline engines, and at least a 90-percent reduction in particulates and NOx when compared to diesel vehicles today.
The investment includes a 200,000-square-foot facility renovation, new machinery, equipment and special tooling to bring diesel engine technology to New York. In addition to the $100 million facility investment, GM will invest an additional $41 million for vendor tooling, containers and investments at other locations necessary to support the Tonawanda operations. Construction is slated to begin later this year and production of the 4.5-liter V-8 diesel engine is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009. The project will retain about 150 hourly jobs.
"GM is transforming its product portfolio to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and the 4.5-liter V-8 diesel is an integral part of that transformation, as well as a component of GM's strategy to diversify vehicle energy sources," said John Buttermore, GM Powertrain vice president of global manufacturing. "This will be one of the most efficient and technically-
advanced diesel engines, providing a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and 13 percent reduction in CO2 emissions over gasoline engines in this segment – and it does all that while still providing the performance attributes required by customers in the areas of towing and hauling loads."
The investment announced today is in addition to a $300 million investment GM announced in January for production of an all-new, DOHC V-8 engine to power GM's luxury cars and SUVs. Production of that engine also begins in 2009.
"GM's investment in the Tonawanda plant, totaling $1.6 billion in the last 10 years, is a significant vote of confidence in our employees and UAW Local 774, who have demonstrated their commitment and dedication to benchmark performance that is contributing to the company's turnaround," Buttermore said.
The GM Powertrain Tonawanda plant management and UAW Local 774 leadership successfully negotiated a competitive operating agreement that improves operational effectiveness. The agreement also addresses processes and methods that improve production quality, efficiency and safety of the operations.
Buttermore also thanked New York 's leaders on the federal, state, county and local levels, including New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Erie County Executive Joel Giambra and Tonawanda Supervisor Ron Moline, for providing the business case to support GM's investments in New York.
"General Motors has been part of the fabric of the Western New York economy for almost 70 years," said Governor Spitzer. "The company's expanded investment in its Tonawanda plant is a testament to the area's highly skilled, highly motivated workforce and the role that manufacturing will continue to play in the revival of Upstate New York."
The 4.5-liter V-8 Duramax high-output diesel engine will be GM's first engine to use a selective catalytic reduction NOx after-treatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve the Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards. It will be compliant in all 50 states, making it one of the cleanest diesels ever produced. It is expected to deliver class-leading power and torque, and fulfill multiple vehicle applications with ratings in excess of 310 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque.
GM Powertrain's Tonawanda engine plant opened in 1938 and has produced nearly 68 million engines. The plant covers 3.1 million square feet and employs 1,565 hourly and 260 salaried employees, with an annual payroll of $200 million. Currently, the Tonawanda engine plant builds the 2.2-liter Ecotec engine that powers the Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR; the Inline 4- and 5-cylinder engines that power the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-size pickups and the HUMMER H3 SUV; the 3.5- and 3.9-liter high value V-6 engines for the Pontiac G6 and the Chevrolet Malibu and Impala; and the 8.1-liter big block V-8 engine that powers Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick medium-duty trucks – as well as marine and industrial applications.
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