Demand Is Higher Than Ever For GM’s Full-Size V8 Offerings

General Motors is spending billions just on the factories to build the next generation of its small-block V8 engine to be used in models like the Chevrolet Silverado. Production that won’t even start before 2027, which is years after most automakers had expected the V8, and most combustion engines, to be all but dead. If you thought GM was crazy when it announced $579 million for Flint, $888m for Tonawanda, and hundreds of millions more for related plants to help build a brand-new generation of V8, you’re not alone. If you’re one of the other automakers that bet against GM, you might be regretting those plans right about now.

So, what’s behind GM’s plans for trucks like the Silverado 1500? And why is it so committed to the V8 while everyone else goes V6? The simple answer is people still want V8s. That’s what GM told The Drive. “We’re making these investments to provide our customers choice when it comes to vehicles and the powertrains we offer,” a spokesperson told the publication.

GM Sells The Most Big Trucks And SUVs, And Most Of Them Have A V8

How much do people still want GM’s V8s? The same report said that about half of all Silverado 1500 buyers are taking the 5.3-liter V8 or the 6.2-liter V8 option. 42% of all sales have the former, while the 6.2 accounts for 8% of total sales. Comparatively, only 25 percent of F-150 buyers pick that company’s 5.0-liter option.

It’s not like GM doesn’t offer excellent engines. It has some great engine choices in its half-ton lineup right now, including the 2.7-liter four-cylinder TurboMax, the 3.0-liter I6 Duramax diesel, and the two V8s. It doesn’t quite match Ford’s offerings, which include the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a version of it with hybrid power, as well as a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6.

Ram was the first to drop the V8 from its trucks, replacing that engine with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six called Hurricane. That decision brought a storm on Ram dealers, and now company CEO Tim Kuniskis is going all out to re-launch the Hemi V8 and send the truck on an apology tour.

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But GM’s V8 commitment isn’t all about trucks. GM’s other big difference is its full-sized SUVs. Ford’s Expedition is EcoBoost V6-only, and Jeep’s Wagoneer full-sizers are exclusively Hurricane-powered. GM’s Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade models don’t even offer the four-cylinder. The 5.3 is standard, with the diesel and 6.2 V8 engines available as options. The diesel is by far the least popular, accounting for just 7% of sales, with the V8 twins accounting for 93%.

And those GM SUVs greatly outsell the competition. The Tahoe and Yukon each outsell the Ford Expedition, and the Chevrolet Suburban isn’t far behind. Then there’s the Escalade, and if you add them all together, GM sells 3.5 big SUVs for every one from Ford.

Big EV Bet And Low Costs Make Simple V8s More Appealing

Of course, there is one other thing that could be driving GM’s V8 push, and that’s cost. GM spent billions to be at the head of the market for electric trucks. But sales of the Silverado EV, Hummer EV, and the others have not performed anywhere close to expectations.

“It didn’t come as a huge surprise given the failure of full-size electric trucks in the marketplace,” Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry Agency, told The Drive. “Given that GM hasn’t followed Ford, Toyota, and Stellantis down the turbo-six-cylinder path for truck engines, this is their most cost-effective way forward.”

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GM’s V8s are simple. No turbos, no overhead cams. They produce competitive power and have competitive fuel economy, but they’re likely vastly cheaper to build. That makes them the right investment for GM at a time when the company needs to be careful how it spends money. Just don’t talk about the recall that has GM potentially replacing hundreds of thousands of its iconic V8s.

Source: The Drive