General Motors Now Claims the Volt and Cruze Engines Will Be Made In Flint, Michigan

Wouldn't you know it, one day after I lament that GM will be using foreign made engines, we get this press release.

General Motors has confirmed today that it will still invest approximately $250 million to bring the 1.4-liter 4-cylinder Family 0 engine production to Flint, Mich. The engine capacity for the Chevy Volt and Cruze will be allocated to existing and available floor space in the company’s Flint South engine plant located on Bristol Road.

Preparations to the Flint South plant for installation of new machinery and equipment will begin this Spring. Production of the 1.4-liter engines is targeted to begin in December 2010.

Production of Family 0 engines at Flint South will be GM’s most flexible and competitive engine manufacturing lines in the world, with approximately 150 highly flexible stations that will allow production of multiple 4-cylinder engine families without retooling.

This means that GM will not invest in new floor space at this time due to current capital expenditure constraints and available floor space in existing facilities.

There you have it. You can ignore my previous diatribe about the little four cylinder engine. It is worth noting that the first Volts are due in dealerships at the same time this plant will be ready, so there will be a need to use overseas engines in the beginning.