General Motors, Detroit, announced it plans to spend $890 million on the production of its Generation 5 engines, with $226 million going to plants with metalcasting capabilities.
The announcement comes just two months after GM announced an approximately $500 million investment in its new Ecotec engines. GM’s Defiance, Ohio, metalcasting facility, which received $59 million in the Ecotec investment, will receive another $115 million for the production of the new engine’s cylinder blocks and crankshafts. GM’s Bedford, Ind., facility will receive $111 million to produce the Generation 5 cylinder heads.
According to a press release issued by the car company, the investments at the casting facilities will allow expansion of Defiance’s precision sand and Bedford’s semi-permanent mold casting technologies to accommodate the new production.
“GM is investing in our plants, restoring and creating jobs and making progress toward our vision of designing, building and selling the world’s best vehicles,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. “These latest investments show our commitment to improving fuel economy for buyers of every GM car, truck and crossover and giving them the best possible driving and ownership experience.”
The balance of the $890 million investment will go to the components plant in Bay City, Mich., and engine assembly plants in Tonawanda, N.Y., and St. Catherines, Ontario. The investments are expected to create or retain more than 1,600 jobs, including 189 at Defiance and 245 at Bedford.
