| GM is investing $141 million to
produce a more compact 4.5-litre version of it Duramax diesel V8 for light-duty
trucks. The engine will be built in 2009.
By integrating the cylinder head and exhaust and intake manifolds, as
well as using a narrower block, the four-valve engine will fit into the
same space as a small-block V8 gasoline engine.
This increases the range of vehicles into which it could be fitted in
future.
GM powertrain vice-president John Buttermore said: “It will provide
a 25 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency and 13 per cent reduction
in CO2 emissions over gasoline engines in the segment.”
The engine will be the first diesel built at GM’s Tonawanda plant,
New York State. GM is spending $100 million on retooling the factory for
diesel production. A further $41 million will be spent investing in supplier
tooling.
It will be the first GM engine to use a selective catalytic reduction
aftertreatment system for NOx in combination with a diesel particulate
filter.
It will achieve Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards, which impose
a NOx limit of 0.07g/mile, (0.04g/km) and a CO limit of 4.2g/mile (2.6g/km)
over the lifetime of the vehicle.
The durability of the aftertreatment has to be guaranteed for longer than
the Bin 8 legislation that Bin 5 supersedes.
Production of the engine, which will develop more than 230kW (310bhp)
and 705Nm (520 lb ft) of torque, will begin at the end of 2009.
Its first applications will be the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra pickup
and Hummer H2.
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