Latest news with #V-8
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
General Motors to Make an Investment of $888M in Tonawanda Plant
General Motors Company GM has revealed plans to invest $888 million into its Tonawanda Propulsion plant to support the production of its sixth-generation V-8 engines, which power full-size trucks and SUVs. These new engines are expected to outperform current models while enhancing fuel efficiency and lowering emissions, thanks to advancements in combustion and thermal management the past 15 years, GM has consistently invested in its manufacturing capabilities. In January 2023, it committed $500 million to its Flint Engine plant for the production of the sixth-generation V-8 project. The latest investment is now GM's largest single investment in an engine facility, making it the second plant to take on production of the new engine funding will go toward new machinery, tools, equipment and upgrades to the facility. Tonawanda Propulsion, represented by UAW Local 774, will continue producing the current fifth-generation V-8 while gearing up to begin sixth-generation production in Motors is the top-selling automaker in the United States. The company's hot-selling brands in America, namely Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, are boosting its top line. It is advancing well in its electrification journey. In the final quarter of 2024, GM's EV portfolio became 'variable profit positive' thanks to production scale efficiencies, lower material costs and expansion of the portfolio with the Cadillac Escalade IQ and Sierra EV launches. The company expects to cut EV-related losses further this year. Also, General Motors' deals with Vianode, Lithium Americas, LG Chemical, POSCO Chemical and Livent have boosted its EV supply chain, aligning with its long-term electrification goals. General Motors carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) at better-ranked stocks in the auto space are CarGurus, Inc. CARG, Strattec Security Corporation STRT and Michelin MGDDY, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Zacks Consensus Estimate for CARG's 2025 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 4.96% and 25%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have improved 30 cents and 44 cents, respectively, in the past 30 Zacks Consensus Estimate for STRT's fiscal 2025 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 3.49% and 8.11%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have improved 73 cents and 91 cents, respectively, in the past 30 Zacks Consensus Estimate for MGDDY's 2025 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 0.43% and 37.76%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have improved a penny and 4 cents, respectively, in the past seven days. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report General Motors Company (GM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Strattec Security Corporation (STRT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Michelin (MGDDY) : Free Stock Analysis Report CarGurus, Inc. (CARG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Barra: GM is in 'better position' than during first Trump administration
General Motors CEO Mary Barra acknowledges the company could have been better positioned during its conversations with President Donald Trump in his first term — particularly when it came to the Detroit automaker's North American manufacturing operations. GM's top executive said on stage at the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference in New York City that she brings lessons learned from past interactions with Trump's White House to today's tariff-related conversations. 'When we didn't see eye to eye on some things, I think there's actually some things where General Motors could have handled some situations better,' Barra said May 28, referring to the company's past chats with Trump's administration. 'We had to do some restructuring, and we could have executed better, which would have positioned it a lot better.' During the negotiation of U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2018, the existing trade pact among the North American countries that Trump managed during his first term, conversations between the president and GM occasionally turned ugly. At the time, GM was in the process of shuttering its massive assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which had focused on manufacturing small cars, amid restructuring efforts that involved layoffs of nearly 6,000 salaried workers in North America. The changes made national headlines and drew negative attention, and tweets from the president. 'But even through that period and then beyond, we've always continued to have dialogue, and that's a kind of a lesson learned. I've been very clear that I believe in electric vehicles, I'm very clear about the importance of manufacturing," she told Editor in Chief Emma Tucker. 'Having the dialogue to make sure they understand our industry — because I think we do have a shared goal of strengthening it — has been beneficial.' GM is facing costs up to $5 billion this year from Trump's tariffs, the company said after its most recent earnings report. Barra applauded the relief stemming from the most recent executive orders signed April 29, which set 25% tariffs on all imported autos, which began in April, and another 25% on all auto parts set to begin by May 3. The change prevented stacking tariffs on top of previously announced duties on steel and aluminum, the costs of which Barra described as 'untenable.' GM has made a variety of production changes at plants in the United States this year, including an $888 investment the company announced late May 27 in its New York propulsion assembly plant to produce the next-generation V-8 engine, the automaker's largest investment ever in an engine plant. GM said April 23 that it planned to expand transmission production at its Toledo Propulsions Systems plant where it builds transmissions used in the Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks. More: General Motors revamps credit card, changes GM Rewards program to add discounts More: General Motors commits $888 million to build next-gen V-8 engine in New York 'We're trying to make changes to pay less tariffs because we're strengthening our U.S. manufacturing,' Barra said. 'There's decisions we can make when we look at the entire equation … we have the capacity available in some of the assembly plants and engine plants that we have in this country that we're going to continue to utilize.' General Motors did not join automakers that advertised tariff-free pricing deals, and Barra would not commit to post-tariff vehicle price changes, citing the dynamic pricing in the automotive industry even without tariffs that requires flexibility to stay competitive. 'I've had the opportunity to talk to the president and his administration on a regular basis, and one of the things that I'm very appreciative is they have taken the time to understand ... the dynamics of our industry,' Barra said. 'I can't speak to all the other industries that are facing tariffs, but I can tell you for decades now, it has not been a level playing field with U.S. automakers globally with either tariffs or non-tariff trade barriers.' Senior autos writer Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report. Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Barra: GM is in 'better position' than last Trump administration Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
General Motors commits $888 million to build next-gen V-8 engine in New York
General Motors is investing $888 million in its New York propulsion assembly plant to produce the next generation V-8 engine, the company said May 27. GM said it is the automaker's largest ever investment in an engine plant and the latest adjustment to electric vehicle production. GM previously announced a $300 million investment to retool Tonawanda Propulsion near Buffalo, New York, to produce electric vehicle drive units. Outside New York, GM produces small block V-8 engines for its full-size trucks and SUVs at two other locations ― Flint, Michigan, and Toluca, Mexico, according to its website. Retooling for the next generation engine, its sixth, will take two years, the company said, meaning the fifth generation engine will continue to be produced in New York until 2027. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release celebrating the investment that the project will support 870 jobs at Tonawanda Propulsion, including 177 jobs deemed at risk. The state plans to provide up to $16.96 million in tax credits in return for investment commitments. The announcement is the latest production change GM has made, often citing 'marketplace changes.' GM said April 23 that it planned to expand transmission production at its Toledo (Ohio) Propulsions Systems plant where it builds transmissions used in the Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks, while reducing electric drive unit production. The company also laid off 200 employees at its Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan, in April to ensure production will 'align with market dynamics.' Neither move was tariff-related, the company confirmed. More: GM adding V-8 engine to Flint plant worries sites that already make it The investment announced May 27 builds on a $579 million commitment to construct the same engine in Flint. A company spokesman said in 2023 following that announcement that the transition requires significant changes to the assembly line. 'With all of the renovation work that needs to be done to prepare Flint Engine to build the company's sixth generation V-8 engine, GM will continue to produce Gen 5 V-8 engines for several years,' the spokesperson said. It is not unusual to have multiple plants produce the same engines given the advantages associated with streamlining production, according to Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. GM builds its heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups at Flint Assembly. A spokesperson said engines produced in Buffalo feed vehicle production at Fort Wayne Assembly, Indiana; Arlington Assembly, Texas; Wentzville, Missouri; Oshawa, in Canada; Bowling Green, Kentucky, and overflow to Flint Assembly. The next generation Silverado is not expected to arrive before 2027, likely in line with the newest V-8 generation, Fiorani told the Detroit Free Press. 'Investments this large means those plants will be around for a while. You can't spend half a billion ― or nearly a billion ― on a plant and have it go away in a couple years,' he said. 'This guarantees production will continue for years, as it takes that much time for a return on that size of investment. We're likely to see V-8s well into the 2030s.' In addition to adequate retooling time, there's another reason why GM will continue producing the fifth-generation V-8 for a while, Fiorani added: The company needs to continue producing the older V-8 engine to address manufacturing issues currently under investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. GM opted to voluntarily recall about 721,000 vehicles worldwide for defective internal engine parts ― the crankshaft and connecting rods ― damaged during the manufacturing process. Any vehicle engines that don't pass inspections at the dealership level will need to be replaced. Models impacted include Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevy Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL produced for 2021–24 model years. Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: General Motors commits $888M to build next-gen V-8 engine in New York Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dodge Might Be Bringing Back Its Legendary Hemi V-8 Engine
One of the most beloved internal combustion engines in American automotive history is coming back from the dead. Stellantis, the multi-national conglomerate that owns Dodge and Ram, looks to have changed its mind about the Hemi V-8. The company will reportedly reintroduce the eight-cylinder mill later this year. More from Robb Report Christina Ricci's Scenic L.A. Home Is Back on the Market for $4.2 Million This Rare Bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Just Set a New Auction Record for American Whiskey This $51 Million Penthouse Atop Dubai's Burj Khalifa Sits Above the Clouds News of the legendary engine going back into production was broken by Moparinsiders. The website, which primarily covers Stellantis brands, reports that production of the eight-cylinder powertrain will resume at the company's Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan in August. The automaker isn't just bringing back one version of the engine—most famous for its use in Dodge's muscle cars—but the whole family. That includes the 5.7-liter Hemi, the 6.4-liter 'Apache' (often referred to as the '392'), and the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat. Hemis were previously built at a different Stellantis factory in Saltillo, Mexico. Earlier this decade, production of the engine began to wind down so that it could be replaced by the twin-turbocharged 'Hurricane' inline-six, which is used in the non-electric versions of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Ram 1500 REV. The assumption was that once the existing stock of the V-8 had been exhausted it would be done once and for all. As of the 2025 model year, the engine was still available in the Ram Heavy Duty pickup and Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. But, the V-8 received a second chance at life late last year when Carlos Tavares abruptly resigned as Stellantis CEO, according to Car and Driver. Within days, Tim Kuniskis, the godfather of the Hellcat V-8, returned as head of Ram, months after having retired as CEO of the truck maker and Dodge. Since then, there has been much speculation that the V-8 would return—and it would appear those rumors are correct. A representative for Stellantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Robb Report. As exciting as news of the Hemi's comeback may be to some, there are at least some enthusiasts unlikely to be pleased by the development. A group of 2021 Durango Hellcat owners are currently involved in a legal battle with Dodge over the SUV because it has not turned out to be the one-and-done model it was initially touted as, according to Road & Track. With the Hemi V-8 set to be reintroduced, it's not hard to imagine the high-performance variant remaining in production for at least a little while longer. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Can Ram's returning CEO Tim Kuniskis bring back the Hemi?
Can Ram's returning CEO Tim Kuniskis bring back the Hemi? When petrol-head Tim Kuniskis returned to Stellantis and his old role as Ram brand CEO in December, having retired in June, the most-asked question was whether he would bring back the Hemi V-8 that was dropped from the 2025 Ram 1500 lineup. The storied engine was dropped in favor of the Hurricane family of more powerful and efficient 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged I-6 engines as part of the refresh of the fifth-generation light-duty fullsize truck. The answer is not simple and won't be fully answered until the botched launch of new 2025 Ram 1500 is fixed and Kuniskis can get some real-world data on sales with the I-6 and whether the loss of the Hemi is to blame. Personally, the man associated with muscle cars like the Dodge Demon loves the Hemi, he tells MotorTrend in an interview. But as a prudent executive he says he knows he has to be realistic. 'If I am being honest, and objective, and not being myself, if I look at the T6 versus the Hemi, the T6 (Hurricane I-6) is a great engine, a far superior engine to the Hemi. The one place it falls short is the sound.' To make a humungous bet and investment to restore the Hemi based on the sound, he would need compelling data showing the market wants it. The executive does not have that data yet because the updated 2025 Ram 1500 launch has been a mess. The full range of the fullsize light-duty truck was supposed to launch in June 2024, which is when Kuniskis retired. 'We should have had the full range of this truck out at volume last summer.' Ram 1500 launch is still a mess That still has not happened. The truck is not yet at full production at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. The trucks rolling off the line don't have all the tech that they should. 'We don't even have all the trims out that we should have," Kuniskis says. 'We still have less than two-week's supply of RHOs, less than a two week's supply of Tungstens. We're struggling with all the different trims.' Pickup performance: The 15 quickest pickup trucks MotorTrend has ever tested The result is light-duty truck sales are down 30 percent. When he gets more trucks to market, Kuniskis says he will be better able to gauge whether the loss of then Hemi is an issue. 'Until that is fixed, I won't know.' If sales are still down 20 percent after the launch is fixed, then he will have a clearer picture of the impact of losing the Hemi. Does the industry want V-8s anymore? But he does not think that is what the data will show. He admires Ford which has done an excellent job of marketing the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6 in its F-150 trucks while continuing to offer the 5.0-liter V-8. Even with the choice, the take rate on the V-8 is only 25 percent, he says. He looks at the growth of the Toyota truck sales, which also ditched the V-8 in the latest generation. The industry has a V-8 take rate of about 30 percent, largely because GM is heavily reliant on the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8s. 'Personally, I would love to have a Hemi but does the marketplace want it? I don't know yet because I haven't fully launched this truck. If I fully launch this truck, and I still have a gap, will I be scrambling [to bring back the Hemi], maybe, if I can convince everybody that it is still going to be OK with our compliance plan.' The other unknown is changes to emissions regulations under the new Trump Administration. In case you missed it: The most luxurious full-size pickup trucks on the market MotorTrend evaluated three trims: the budget Warlock work truck, performance RHO and premium Tungsten, with the standard and high-output Hurricane engines. We were impressed enough to name the Ram 1500 the 2025 MotorTrend Truck of the Year. Ram Heavy-Duty launch For those who really want the V-8, the 6.4-liter V-8 is still available on Ram's heavy-duty trucks. Kuniskis is bullish on the new 2025 Ram heavy-duty pickups launching now but not because of the Hemi. He is more excited about the upgraded 430-hp, 1,075-lb-ft Cummins 6.7-liter diesel engine that is now available in the 2500. It is mated to a ZF eight-speed transmission with more torque multiplication. In the past, the high-output I-6 diesel was only offered in the Ram 3500. Now it is in both trucks. The 2500 is in the heart of the market, accounting for 70 percent of Ram heavy-duty sales. While the 3500 customer is more work-focused, the 2500 buyer is both work and personal. In this battleground, Ram is fortified with a 2500 with 70 percent more torque. 'That's the game changer,' Kuniskis says. Creature comforts and big screens are the cherry on top for these buyers, but you need the right powertrain to be in the game. Ramcharger versus REV As Ram expands its lineup, the automaker will start taking orders for the 2025 Ramcharger extended-range EV plug-in hybrid in May. The truck will be available early in the second half of the year, but Kuniskis is trying to pull it forward even further. Even before he left the company in June, Kuniskis tried to prioritize its launch ahead of the Ram REV electric pickup because the Ramcharger presents a unique selling proposition for Ram. No one else offers an extended-range or EREV truck where the motor acts as a generator, providing 690 miles of range and more towing capability than a battery-electric model. Ram would have the advantage of being first until the competition caught up, Kuniskis said. 'I lost that fight, and the decision was to prioritize the REV.' But that decision was made in the absence of any real-world data. Fast forward a year and sales of electric trucks are not at projected rates. One of his first acts upon his return in December was to swap the launch cadence, moving the Ramcharger up and pushing the REV back to 2026. He says he has heard from the never-BEV crowd who have told him they find the Ramcharger interesting for overcoming fears of losing range and towing capability. I don't want to be the ultra-CEO With the departure of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares in December — Kuniskis came out of retirement a week later to resume his Ram duties — is he interested in the top job ultimately? 'No. No. Not a snowball's chance in hell. No way. First, not smart enough. Second, zero interest. I love product, not politics. Life is so much easier when you understand who you are and what you like and what your limitations are. I started out as a dealership mechanic. I went from a mechanic to the sales department to working as a sales rep for this company and now I have this job. I have gone way beyond my IQ. I like this job. I screwed up leaving last time. I just needed a vacation. I didn't need to retire.' And since he has already run pretty much every brand, he says he is happy to stay with Ram and postpone a second retirement for awhile. Photos by Manufacturer and MotorTrend staff
