General Motors Corp. discloses its new joint venture agreement with Penske Corp. in which it’s acquiring 50 percent stake in VM Motori, an Italian maker of diesel engines.
GM asserts that the joint venture will develop a new 2.9 liter, V-6 turbo diesel engine that will launch in the Cadillac CTS in Europe in 2009 and also plan to build the new unit at VM Motori’s plant in Cento, Italy, which will be responsible for the engine’s design, development and testing. G.M. didn’t disclose the financial details of the deal.
Market experts said that surging oil prices have raised the necessity of economic fuel oriented engine, that’s why all leading carmakers are bending toward diesel engines.
Tom Stephens, group vice president of GM Global Powertrain and Quality, said:
Diesel engines have a very important role in GM’s global advanced propulsion strategy; we are leveraging expertise and resources within our company and through technology partners to ensure we develop the world’s best powertrains
GM has introduced 17 diesel engine variants in 45 different models around the world so far and successfully selling more than a million diesel engines annually.
With the growing oil crises, customers are looking at fuel-efficient vehicles and it has started a bitter race to provide more fuel efficient car. Meanwhile, it can endanger environment. Diesel cars have had higher exhaust levels of nitrogen oxide than gasoline cars, and GM, like other automakers, has been lukewarm about diesel engines as a solution for boosting fuel economy, citing the high cost of developing an engine clean enough to meet the coming U.S. standards.
Realizing the menace early, the US is set to implement world’s strictest regulations for harmful nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions. Whereas GM has promised to use clean diesel engines in passenger cars, SUVs and other light-duty trucks. However, that will add additional $2,000 to $2,800 to diesel cars’ premium.
Via: New York Times
Comments
since diesel cars are opt to endanger the environment, why don’t automakers start developing hybrid cars that is not fuel dependent..base from articles and magazines that i had read, some people prefer having hybrids than fuel-dependent cars..one of its factor was the economical issues as well as the environmental aspects..h0pefully, some cars like bmw (bmw oem parts) will then convert fuel-dependent cars to hybrid ones..