Latest news with #internalcombustion
Motor Trend
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
The V-8 Is Not Dead: GM (Re-)Confirms New Sixth-Gen Small-Block, Puts Big Money Behind It
GM has announced it is adding another plant to support production of its sixth generation V-8 for use in full-size trucks and SUVs. And it's putting up big-time money on the project. Original story continues below with updated information on the Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York. It's been a while since we've heard anything from the automaker on its next-generation V-8 engine plans, but the Tonawanda news—and attendant investment in said plant—serves as the latest reminder that the V-8 engine isn't going anywhere over at GM. The original story continues below, with additional details on the new Tonawanda announcement made in May 2025. General Motors is amping up its electrification plans, but it hasn't grown stone cold to its internal combustion engine (ICE) business quite yet. GM just announced that it is investing multitudinous millions to prepare various GM facilities for the sixth-generation small block V-8 engine. GM's full-size trucks and SUVs (those are the vehicles GM mentioned, at least), will continue to get this powerplant. This investment shows that GM's commitment to the internal combustion engine is far from dead, for the time being at least, since re-tooling could mean GM is all-in on its V-8 gassers for at least another decade. GM hasn't divulged any details on its next V-8—particulars like engine specifications, applications, and when we'll see them in GM's trucks and SUVs. The $918 million investment spans four United States GM facilities involved in the machining of various small block V-8 internals and the engine's final assembly. Most of the cashola ($854 million) will go toward the V-8, which with a small portion ($64 million) reserved for EV components. Since 2013, GM has reportedly invested more than $37 billion in its United States manufacturing facilities. Here's the breakdown between the four plants: GM will invest $579 million in the Flint Engine Operations in Flint, Michigan, where the sixth-gen small block V-8 family of engines will be assembled. GM will invest $216 million in Bay City GPS in Bay City, Michigan (camshafts, connecting rods), $47 million in Defiance Operations in Defiance, Ohio (block castings), and $12 million in Rochester Operations in Rochester, New York (intake manifolds, fuel rails). Some $64 million will be split between Defiance ($8 million) and Rochester ($56 million) for EV projects. The Defiance investment is for building a casting development cell to support future EV strategies, and the Rochester allotment funds the production of EV battery pack cool lines. In May of 2025, GM announced it would spend an additional $888 million on the Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York. This money will go towards updating the plant with new machinery, equipment and tools to support the new Gen VI GM V-8. There will also be facility renovations to the 87-year-old plant that spans 3.1 million square feet and currently manufactures the Gen V GM V-8 engine. Tonawanda also produced the Ecotec Gen III 2.0 liter turbocharged and 2.5 liter naturally aspirated I-4 engines found in the Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, Buick Regal and other base model GM cars. Will this be the final chapter of the GM small block? Maybe. But at least the book isn't closed on it, yet. This story originally published in January 2023, but has since been updated to reflect further investment by GM on the manufacturing of the next-generation small-block V-8 engine.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Electric vehicle sales hit two-year low in Australia as hybrid cars boom
The number of battery electric vehicles sold in Australia has fallen to its lowest level in two years as Australians continue buying traditional internal-combustion cars or turn to conventional and plug-in hybrids, according to the nation's peak motoring body. There were 17,914 new battery electric vehicles sold in the first three months of this year, according to the Australian Automobile Association (AAA), equivalent to 6.3% of all new car sales. The last time the number of new electric vehicles sold was this low was in the first three months of 2023, when 17,396 cars were sold, the AAA's quarterly electric vehicle report said. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email This year's first quarter figures also represent a decline in market share compared to the final quarter of 2024, when battery EVs made up 7.42% of new car sales with 21,331 sold, the AAA figures showed. Vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines continued to dominate even though they too dropped in popularity, with 206,810 sold in the March quarter, or 72.68% of all new car sales. In the final three months of 2024, 215,789 cars with internal combustion engines were sold, working out to 75.1% of the market, the AAA's report said. At the same time, however, sales of conventional hybrid cars – which combine a petrol or diesel engine with an electric motor – and plug-in hybrids, which also contain a chargeable battery – boomed. The number of plug-in-hybrids sold nearly doubled to 13,698 – 4.81% of the market – in the first three months of this year compared with 7,556 sales – 2.63% of the market - in the final quarter of 2024. The number of conventional hybrid vehicles sold increased from 42,618 to 46,115 over the same period. To compile its reports, the AAA says it collates information from a range of sources including car sales data from two peak manufacturing bodies – the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council. Overall, car sales fell by 0.96% in the March quarter, the report said. The decline in the number of electric vehicles sold came in the immediate wake of the federal government's national vehicle efficiency standard coming into effect on 1 January. Introduced by the Albanese government in its first term, the standard is designed to bring more fuel-efficient cars into the market by penalising manufacturers of high-polluting vehicles if they exceed an emissions cap. The cap – which the government has said will be lowered over time – applies to new cars, in an effort to incentivise carmakers to supply low-and zero-emissions vehicles to Australia. It was expected the standard would lower the cost of electric vehicles by making it cheaper and easier to bring them into the market. The government has said the standard will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new passenger vehicles by more than 60% by 2030. The standard forms part of the government's plan to achieve its commitment to lower greenhouse gas emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, has been contacted for comment.
