GM unveils new light truck diesel

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Those wanting a light truck with a diesel will get their wish in '09 or '10.

quote:

General Motors Corp. today unveiled a sophisticated new V8 diesel engine that reduces fuel consumption 25%, produces up to 360 horsepower and meets all upcoming emissions regulations.

The engine goes into production on a light-duty pickup truck sometime after 2009, when the United States will institute what are expected to be the most stringent diesel emissions of any country.

The new turbodiesel was developed to fit several different vehicle families, said Charles Freese V, GM executive director of diesel engineering. It fits into an engine compartment the same size as GM’s current small-block V8, which is used in vehicles ranging from the Chevrolet Corvette sports car to the huge Cadillac Escalade ESV luxury SUV.

GM also introduced an upgraded version of its 6.6L Duramax diesel V8 that meets emissions rules that take effect for the 2007 model year. That engine will power trucks used for heavy hauling like the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD.

The Duramax is an entirely different engine from the smaller diesel for lights trucks due after 2009, but it also produces a maximum of 360 horsepower.

The Duramax uses a variety of technologies to reduce particulate emissions 90% and NOx ((cq-Mark)) emissions 50% compared to the 2006 model.

GM builds about 200,000 Duramax diesels annually at a plant in Moraine, Ohio. The automaker has not said where it will build the new diesel, or how many it expects to use.


Link to article.
 
i thought it was 2007 for the emissions standards

either way that is definitly a step in the right direction.
 
Don't worry, some tree hugger group is bound to go after any diesel program. You're supposed to drive an electric car and eat bushes. These emission standards were pulled out of someone’s ear and have nothing to do with reality. If the manufacturers meet them, they are rewarded with more reductions. You see, these politicians that do this stuff, get their jobs by winning a popularity contest. They are then declared legislators and are therefore experts. And who's the Einstein that came up with E85. They make it from corn. Can you imagine fighting with pigs and cows for your next tank of fuel. Great idea if you're a corn picker, but put that stuff in a car that does not built for it and you have one trashed car. Maybe not the first tank but certainly by the second or third. And GM sells these corn picking cars, but they only list the gasoline EPA mileage rating. They have forgotten to list what it does on the juice. If you get 450 miles a tank on gas, you'll get 350 on juice. Great solution. Instead of OPEC, will have Archer Daniels Midland, and those guys would sell their sister to a Shiner's convention if it means a better next quarter. What they need to do is finish cleaning up the diesel and let the manufacturers start selling them, with reasonable standard to meet. Ditch the tree huggers and corn pickers. Make the legislators give the money back to ADM and let us start driving diesels.
 
No thanks. This will follow the usual drill. Give you just shy of nothing and be within $0.02 of a heavier duty model. There will be no spartan version offered.

Do you think they're going to make a 30 mpg full size pickup? My Pukeout 504 only got 29 (yeah-yeah ..and you're current full size gasoline pickup gets 22 mpg with the ac on @ 70 mph pulling your 26ft travel trailer ..up 8% grades - both ways so 30 mpg is very likely).
 
I know that what I am writing is not about diesels, but deals with the political ** behind the emissions standards...

1) I cannot afford a gas/electric hybrid
2) I cannot afford a diesel/electric hybrid
3) I cannot afford a new dual-fuel capable vehicle

I can only afford to keep driving my 1999 Subaru Forester that is straight gasoline...

What I would like to see is an upgrade(hardware/software) that would make gasoline only cars/trucks able to use 85% ethanol (e-85)

alongside constantly tightening the regulations, why don't they help people with older vehicles (my '99 only has 26,500 miles on it) by developing solutions to increase gas mileage or become e-85 compatible?!?
 
quote:

Originally posted by Zaedock:
Good luck even finding an E85 station.

Do you mean you have been seriously looking?? This E85 is, in my opinion, a load of ** that is being shoved down our throats. Yes it will make ADM rich, but is is a weak overall solution. I saw a sign at one shell station stating that their gas may contain up to 10% ethanol. Now all shell stations do not get my business. Probably the brands I buy also have ethanol, but since they dont tell me, I am OK with that. Wierd, huh?

But back on subject, this light diesel is a great announcement. But coming from GM, it will get alot of degradation/flaming on this board. If it would be Toyota, it would be the best thing since sliced bread (or perhaps, bottled oil). The only thing that bothers me about this GM announcement is that it is so far out in the future. I realize it takes a long time to develop the technology to meet these diesel regulations, but wish the announcements would be a little closer. Perhaps it is done to make the shareholders happy and optimistic of its future.

Any other links to this diesel, and is it a shared engine platform that could be converted to a 3,4,5 or 6 cylinder variant?
 
quote:

Originally posted by Zaedock:
Good luck even finding an E85 station.

I just saw it at the place I usually grocery shop. $2.40/gal versus $2.71/gal for regular old 87 octane.

I agree with the corn monopoly scenario. I wish they would of went with making it out of something like switchgrass which can be grown on land not suitable for other cash crops and yields higher levels of ethanol per acre.
 
Boy, given the number of people I've seen begging for a 1/2 ton pickup with a diesel on this board in the past, I'm surprised the reaction isn't more positive.

Here's another, more informative article. It mentions that this engine could potentially be used in any vehicle with a small block V8, so look for SUV's to get this, too.

Here's GM's press release. It gives some of the technical details of the engine.

quote:

Given GMs past reputation on their light diesels I would not one.

Oh, please! Look at the current Duramax diesel and get your mind out of the early 80's. It's been a long time and they've learned a lot.

About the emissions, they do get stricter in '07, but apparently they get even stricter yet in '10. This engine will supposedly be 50-state legal since it meets the '10 standards. It doesn't make sense for them to introduce a new diesel that they can't sell everywhere.
 
I would personally be very excited about a light duty diesel pickup. Nissan is reported to have something coming out in 2009 on the Titan platform and I have already warned my wife that I am interested.

The duramax is impressive and I might even consider a GM product if they offered this.
 
I would buy a 30 mpg 1/2 ton chev truck that could pull what a normal v8 can pull.

I can't wait for this truck....but I suspect the savings in fuel will be far outweighed by a hefty price tag.
 
quote:

Oh, please! Look at the current Duramax diesel and get your mind out of the early 80's. It's been a long time and they've learned a lot.

The Duramax diesel is a good one but it was designed by Isuzu not GM. GM did not own the Duramax design till after August 2002 when the design ownership rights were purchased from Isuzu. GM had to buy outside of the company for a good light duty diesel design.

You don't have to go back to the early 80s to see GMs record on light duty diesels. Before the Duramax motor of around 2001 the GM 6.5 diesel was put in some 3/4 ton GM trucks till around 2000. I know two people that owned the late 90s 6.5 GM diesel and they were plagued with many problems both owners were very disappointed in them. Both owners had problems with oil consumption on top of many fuel system problems.
 
quote:

Originally posted by rusty 63 model:
But coming from GM, it will get alot of degradation/flaming on this board. If it would be Toyota, it would be the best thing since sliced bread (or perhaps, bottled oil).

I agree 100%.

This is a very anti Ford/GM board.

I frequent several automotive related websites and this one is the most anti-Ford/GM of them all.
 
quote:

Originally posted by milwaukee:

quote:

Originally posted by rusty 63 model:
But coming from GM, it will get alot of degradation/flaming on this board. If it would be Toyota, it would be the best thing since sliced bread (or perhaps, bottled oil).

I agree 100%.

This is a very anti Ford/GM board.

I frequent several automotive related websites and this one is the most anti-Ford/GM of them all.


There is a simple explanation. This site has a high percentage of people with years of experiance with US and Japanese vehicles.
 
What cracks me up is the failure of some here to grasp that the
"anti-Ford/GM" perception is this:

1) We hate what the companies have done to run themselves into the ground.
2) We hate having to spend out money elsewhere.
3) We WANT them to pull their collective heads out of their *sses and get it together.

I'd love to spend my money at "home" if I could, but the reality is that these major entities *uck.
I grew up on a string of great vehicles in my house.
Now, 80& of them LOOK like ****, and quality is still not where it needs to be for me to come back.

I hope they do it before it's too late.
But if a 30K Camaro or Challenger is the future, I'm out.

Scott
 
quote:

Originally posted by Jim 5:

I can't wait for this truck....but I suspect the savings in fuel will be far outweighed by a hefty price tag.


There's no reason why you're waiting for this truck. The need has been there for well over a decade or two. When owners are forced to buy a 3/4- 1 ton chassis to have full sized vehicles that have reasonable fuel economy for their size you know that there's a little imbalance in the offerings.

"We can't give you this now. It would do you too much good. We shall release no advantage before its time."
 
Am excited yet cautious. These trial balloons go up all the time then the stuff turns out to be vaporware. Will believe it when I see one in a showroom.
 
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