General Motors (GM) announced it will invest $888 million into its Tonawanda Propulsion facility near Buffalo, New York, marking the largest single investment in an engine plant in the company’s history. The funding will support the production of GM’s upcoming sixth-generation V-8 engines, designed for use in trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
The investment will be used to install advanced machinery, tools, and equipment, as well as to undertake facility renovations. The next-generation engines are expected to outperform current models while offering improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions reductions, according to the automaker.
“This investment marks an exciting new chapter for our plant,” said Tara Wasik, plant director at Tonawanda. “For generations, our team has demonstrated its commitment to manufacturing excellence.”
The Tonawanda facility, operating since 1938, currently assembles the L8T V-8 engine, which features a cast iron block and cast aluminum cylinder heads. Although the plant does not have its own melt shop, it receives cast components from GM foundries in Defiance, Ohio, and Saginaw, Michigan. It also produces a considerable volume of recyclable materials such as metal, plastic film, and old corrugated containers.
GM says the Tonawanda plant will continue producing the fifth generation of its V-8 engines while preparing for sixth-generation production, which is set to begin in 2027. The facility is represented by Local 774 of the United Auto Workers (UAW).
“This is a testament to our commitment to strengthening American manufacturing and supporting U.S. jobs,” said Mary Barra, GM’s chair and CEO. “Our Buffalo plant has a legacy of nearly nine decades, and we’re proud to continue evolving the engines we build there to power world-class trucks and SUVs for years to come.”
The project is part of GM’s broader investment strategy across its U.S. manufacturing base. In January 2023, the company announced a $500 million investment in its Flint Engine plant in Michigan, underscoring its commitment to innovation in internal combustion technology even as it advances toward electrification.
Originally built to produce six-cylinder engines and axles for Chevrolets, the Tonawanda facility played a critical wartime role in the 1940s by manufacturing Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines for World War II fighters and bombers. With this new investment, the plant continues its legacy of propulsion innovation while securing its place in GM’s future product strategy.