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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

General Motors Invests More Than $200 Million To Produce Ecotec Engine At Flint, Michigan, Assembly Plant

03/20/2014
General Motors Assembly Plant in Flint, Michigan, will be one of the automaker’s five worldwide production facilities to manufacture its new generation of Ecotec small-displacement engines to streamline its powertrain portfolio.

“The Flint facility alone represents an investment of more than $200 million in technology and tooling to support the engines’ production,” a company spokesman said. The new engines were developed for GM’s global vehicle portfolio and will power many of the company’s highest-volume small cars and compact crossovers, including the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze specifically tailored for China, which launches in 2014 as a 2015 model.

By 2017, more than 2.5 million new Ecotec engines are projected to be built annually in at least five manufacturing locations around the globe: Flint, Michigan; Shenyang, China; Szentgotthárd, Hungary; Toluca, Mexico; and Changwon, South Korea.

Transportation solutions vary around the world and GM is committed to developing engines matched to the needs of the regions where they’re sold,” said Steve Kiefer, GM Vice President, Global Powertrain Engineering. “The new engine family is designed to achieve segment-leading refinement and efficiency, and will make its way into five GM brands and 27 models by the 2017 model year.”

The new Ecotec portfolio will include 11 engines, with three- and four-cylinder variants ranging from 1.0L to 1.5L – including turbocharged versions – and power ratings ranging from 75 horsepower to 165 horsepower, and torque ranging from 70 lb-ft to 184 lb-ft. The architecture is also designed to support hybrid propulsion systems and alternative fuels.

“The new Ecotec architecture represents the most advanced and efficient family of small-car gas engines in GM’s history,” said Tom Sutter, Global Chief Engineer. “Along with performance and efficiency targets, we’ve also aimed for segment-leading refinement with low noise and vibration – and we’ve hit the bulls-eye.” The new Ecotec engines are calibrated to run on regular unleaded gas – even the high-output turbo variants.

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