2-millionth Duramax Diesel engine rolls off the line in Ohio
26 March 2017
The 2 millionth Duramax 6.6L V-8 turbo-diesel engine has rolled off the line at the DMAX plant in Moraine, Ohio. Groundbreaking for the DMAX, Ltd. plant began in 1998, with the first engine rolling off the line July 17, 2000. DMAX, Ltd. was established in 1998. GM owns 60 percent and Isuzu owns 40 percent of the joint venture.
DMAX makes the Duramax diesel engines for heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. Duramax engines also power some Navistar commercial trucks, Gale Banks vehicles and even marine applications.
The plant has received two recent investments:
2014: $60 million investment announced for emissions improvements
2015: $82 million investment announced for productivity improvements
Employees are currently building the redesigned Duramax 6.6L V-8 turbo-diesel. This next-generation engine offers more horsepower and torque than ever—an SAE-certified 445 horsepower (332 kW) at 2,800 rpm and 910 lb-ft of torque (1,234 N·m) at 1,600 rpm—to enable easier, more confident hauling and trailering.
Along with a 19% increase in max torque over the last Duramax 6.6L, the redesigned turbo-diesel’s performance is quieter and smoother, for greater refinement. It is also capable of running on B20 biodiesel.
Hopefully,they have discovered that electric motors are a better decision for low end torque than diesels and will replace the diesels which are more expensive to manufacture and impossible to run without fouling the air with smog.
Posted by: Lad | 26 March 2017 at 10:38 AM
Reality check: The things that can be powered with a Duramax are things that an EV is not a good match for.
Your windmills and solar panels were delivered by a diesel powered truck. Before your charging station existed, the parts and materials to build it were delivered by a diesel powered truck.
Before we arrive at tomorrow, we have to get through today. And we had to get through yesterday in order to get to today.
We are going to need diesel power for quite some time in the future.
Posted by: Brian P | 26 March 2017 at 07:50 PM
The best use for fossil fuels is creating renewable energy.
Posted by: SJC | 28 March 2017 at 09:19 AM
Lad, you should realize that the PM levels in exhaust from a Duramax are lower than in ambient air in densely populated cities. This cleans the air from harmful emissions in a way that an EV version of the same truck would not do. For sure, NOx emissions still must be further reduced but engineers should have something to work on in the future. Furthermore, an EV version of the same truck would be more expensive and suffer from all other shortcomings of this technology, e.g. low payload in this application. Let’s face the reality: an EV truck would only be good at transporting… batteries. Moreover, if the electricity is produced as in the current US mix, there is little advantage for CO2 and energy use of the EV option.
Posted by: Peter_XX | 29 March 2017 at 12:40 AM
Natural gas on the intake of a diesel engine along with small amounts of diesel fuel directly injected can reduce pollution and increase efficiency.
Bio DME on the intake and HPR diesel will lower fossil carbon emissions while increasing MPG.
Posted by: SJC | 30 March 2017 at 10:46 AM