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GM Plans First Light Duty V-8
Clean Diesel for North America
- High-efficiency V-8 scheduled
for pickup trucks under 8,600 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight and HUMMER
H2
- Low emissions, high performance and excellent
fuel economy
- Expected to deliver
class-leading torque, power and refinement
- Manufactured at the GM
Powertrain Tonawanda engine plant
 TONAWANDA,
N.Y. – General Motors Corp. will introduce a new, state-of-the-art
4.5L V-8 Duramax turbo-diesel that improves engine fuel efficiency by 25
percent, reduces CO2 emissions by 13 percent and cuts particulates and
NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for North American light duty
trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009.
The premium V-8 diesel is expected
to deliver class-leading torque, power and refinement while maintaining
a significant fuel efficiency advantage over comparable-output gasoline
engines.
The new dual-overhead cam,
four-valve V-8 diesel engine will fit within the same space of a
small-block V-8 gasoline engine. This compact size is made possible by
using integral cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover
intake manifolds and a narrow block.
“This new GM light duty diesel is
expected to become a favorite among customers who require excellent
towing ability and fuel efficiency,” said Tom Stephens, group vice
president, GM Global Powertrain and Quality. “It will meet the stringent
2010 emissions standards, and it will be compliant in all 50 states,
making it one of the cleanest diesel vehicles ever produced.”
Environmental benefits of the new
engine include a 13-percent reduction in CO2 versus gasoline engines,
and at least a 90-percent reduction in particulates and NOx compared to
diesel vehicles today. This will be GM’s first engine to use a selective
catalytic reduction NOx aftertreatment system with a diesel particulate
filter to help achieve the Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards.
Technical highlights of the engine
include aluminum cylinder heads with integrated manifolding; a
variable-vane turbocharger with intercooling; a Compacted Graphite Iron
(CGI) block for a stronger and lighter engine base (compared to
lower-strength aluminum or heavier grey cast iron); and fracture-split
main bearing caps and connecting rods for a precise fit. An
electronically controlled, ultra-high-pressure, common-rail fuel system
is used, which has the ability to inject fuel five times per combustion
event to control noise and emissions.
“This new V-8 is not only a clean
diesel meeting the toughest emissions requirements in North America, it
also delivers an effortless performance feel because of its high torque
across the speed range,” said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM
Powertrain Diesel Engineering. “It is also significantly quieter than
other diesels on the road today, with noise and vibration performance
approaching gasoline V-8 levels.”
Freese said the new V-8’s compact
size enables it to fit in the envelope of a gasoline small-block engine,
which provides GM the flexibility to introduce this engine in a wide
variety of vehicle applications should there be future market demand.
The premium V-8 diesel engine is
expected to deliver class-leading refinement, horsepower and torque and
fulfill multiple vehicle applications with ratings in excess of 310
horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque.
GM (Opel, Saab, Vauxhall and GMDAT
) currently offers 17 diesel engine variants in 45 vehicle lines around
the world. GM sells more than one million diesel engines annually, with
products that offer a range of choices from the 1.3L four-cylinder
diesel engine sold in the Opel Agila and Corsa, up to the 6.6L V-8
Duramax diesel sold in full-size vans, heavy duty pickups and medium
duty trucks in the U.S.
GM first introduced the Duramax
diesel 6.6L V-8 in the U.S. in the 2001 model year and since then,
customer enthusiasm for this heavy duty diesel has been outstanding. In
fact, GM’s heavy duty pickup truck market share has jumped nearly
tenfold in the six years that Duramax engines have been offered.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM),
the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales
leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000
people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM
manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1
million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following
brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel,
Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the
industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.
More information on GM can be found at
www.gm.com. |
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