GM Confirms Flint Plant for New Small, Fuel-Efficient Engines
By John O'Dell September 26, 2008
General Motors Corp. has confirmed reports
that it will build a plant in impoverished Flint, Mich., for a new generation of fuel-efficient, four-cylinder engines for use in the Chevrolet Cruze compact car and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range, plug-in electric hybrid.
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New GM 4-cylinder engine is displayed in lot when new engine factory will be built.
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New GM 4-cylinder engine is displayed in lot when new engine factory will be built.
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Like all automakers, GM is under increasing pressure from consumers to field more economical vehicles that stress fuel economy at least as much as power and performance.
And like most it is under pressure from government to build new cars, and factories, that are greener and less polluting that previous vehicles and facilities.
GM said Thursday it will spend $359 million on the new Flint engine plant, which will create about 300 jobs in a city where GM has laid off thousands of workers over the years.
The 552,000-square-foot factory will turn out 1.4-liter turbocharged engines for the two new cars, and, likely, for other GM models as well.
City officials in Flint, where the unemployment rate is more than 33 percent and 35 percent of the residents live at or below the federal poverty level, gave GM a 20-year break from property taxes on the new plant in order to secure the deal for the carmaker to build it there.The plant is scheduled to begin operating early in 2010, with the Cruze slated for introduction abut the same time and the Volt to follow at the end of the year.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor
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