General Motors has announced that it will produce Small Block 6.2L V8 engines for trucks and SUVs at the its Spring Hill manufacturing plant in the US.
The company will invest $148m at the plant to modernize the flexible machining and assembly equipment to product the engines.
The investment is part of larger $709.4m investment plan that GM had announced after the UAW-GM national agreement in 2015.
Spring Hill plant will be producing V8 engines for the first time and the company has so far announced investments of more than $1.35bn for Spring Hill operations, since 2010.
The company said that these 6.2L V8 engines are available on trucks and SUVs such as Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, GMC Sierra Crew Cab, Yukon Denali, Yukon XL Denali and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV.
The aluminum Small Block engine has a suite of technology to offer for efficiency and performance, including Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation), direct injection and continuously variable valve timing.
Other GM sites building the 6.2L V8 for trucks are Tonawanda, N.Y. and St. Catharines, Ontario.
GM North America, manufacturing manager, Arvin Jones said: "This investment will position GM and its workforce to promptly respond to consumer demand for this engine in the popular truck and SUV segment."
"The flexibility of Spring Hill's engine machining and assembly equipment is allowing GM to respond deftly when additional engine variant capacity is needed."
The company said that the equipment modernization will begin immediately and the production of V8 engines will begin during the last quarter of 2016.
On GM's move, UAW Local 1853 chairman, Mike Herron commented "Spring Hill and its employees have a reputation for producing award-winning 4-cylinder engines."
"We appreciate GM recognizing these outstanding skills with the opportunity to build V8 engines for some of GM's most popular full-size trucks and SUVs."
Image: General Motors Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant. Photo: Courtesy of General Motors
