General Motors says it will spend more than $900 million to update four factories, with the bulk going to an engine plant in Flint, to build the next-generation V8 for big pickup trucks and SUVs.
Factories in Rochester, New York; Defiance, Ohio; and Bay City, Michigan; also will see investments, some to make V8 engine components as well as parts for future electric vehicles, the company said recently.
The investments won’t create any new jobs, but they will preserve about 2,400 hourly and salaried positions at the four sites, GM said.
The investments “provide job security at these plants for years to come,” Gerald Johnson, GM’s manufacturing chief, said in a statement.
Much of the money, $579 million, will go to Flint Engine Operations for equipment to build the sixth-generation small-block V8 that will go into the next round of big pickup trucks and SUVs. The plant now employs about 700 people who also will keep making their current product, a diesel engine used in light trucks.
GM, like other automakers, is facing stricter government fuel economy standards and pollution limits starting in the 2024 model year. New vehicles sold in the U.S. will have to average at least 40 miles per gallon of gasoline in 2026, up from about 28 mpg, under new Biden administration rules that undo a rollback of standards enacted under former President Donald Trump.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Go. Garlin Gilchrist II applauded General Motors announcement that it is investing nearly $800 million in its Flint and Bay City plants, both of which will strengthen the automaker’s full-size truck and SUV business portfolio in Michigan and retain jobs across the two locations. Michigan won the vast majority of the $918 million investment from GM in four facilities across the country.
“GM’s $800 million investment in Michigan will retain good-paying jobs and enable us to build on our legacy as the place that put the world on wheels,” said Gov. Whitmer. “Just one year ago, we announced GM’s historic, $7 billion investment growing its electric vehicle manufacturing capabilities in our state. Today’s exciting announcement ensures GM’s truck and SUV components continue to be built in Michigan and builds a strong base for future decisions around electric vehicle and battery investments as well. I thank GM for its ongoing commitment to making its future right here in Michigan.”
