General Motors Tonawanda Propulsion plant employee Shantelle Colston at work on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, as GM announces plans to invest $888 million in the facility to support the production of the sixth generation of GM’s V-8 engines. (Photo by K.C. Kratt for General Motors)
The investment, reported to be the largest GM has ever made in an engine plant, will support production of the automaker’s sixth generation of V-8 engines.
BUFFALO, N.Y.—In May, General Motors announced plans to invest $888 million in its Tonawanda Propulsion plant to support production of the sixth generation of GM’s V-8 engines, used in full-size trucks and SUVs.
“This new generation of engines is expected to deliver stronger performance than today’s engines while benefiting fuel economy and reducing emissions,” GM said in a release announcing its investment. “New combustion and thermal management innovations are a key factor driving these improvements.”
The investment is the latest in a series of strategic investments GM has made in its manufacturing facilities over the last 15 years. In January 2023, the company announced a half-billion-dollar investment in its Flint, Michigan, engine plant for production of the sixth generation of V-8 engines.
General Motors’ $888 million investment, reported to be the largest single investment the company has ever made in an engine plant, makes Tonawanda the second GM propulsion plant to produce this new generation of engines.
“Our significant investments in GM’s Tonawanda Propulsion plant show our commitment to strengthening American manufacturing and supporting jobs in the U.S.,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra, in a statement. “GM’s Buffalo plant has been in operation for 87 years and is continuing to innovate the engines we build there to make them more fuel efficient and higher performing, which will help us deliver world-class trucks and SUVs to our customers for years to come.”
The investment includes new machinery, equipment, and tools, as well as facility renovations.
“This investment marks an exciting new chapter for our plant,” said Tara Wasik, plant director at Tonawanda, in the release. “For generations, our team has demonstrated its commitment to manufacturing excellence. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting the Western New York community and steadfast in our mission to deliver world-class propulsion systems to our customers.”
Tonawanda Propulsion will continue to produce the fifth generation of GM’s V-8 engine while the plant prepares for the next generation’s start of production in 2027, the release stated.