This funding will help the factory upgrade for the new sixth-generation V8 engines that will be used in trucks and SUVs.
The plant will keep making the current engines during this changeover.
Along with updates at Oshawa, GM says this shows its commitment to Canada.
While General Motors hasn’t yet decided on a new purpose for its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, the automaker is still dedicated to Canadian manufacturing. In fact, the company just revealed a new $691 million investment into the St. Catharines Propulsion plant, also located in Ontario, to produce the next generation of its V8 engines. This facility currently manufactures the fifth-generation GM V8s, which include the 5.3L and 6.2L versions found in models like the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL. The production of these older engines will carry on during the re-tooling process, meaning that the factory won’t have to remain inactive for too long-something that’s common when transitioning between products.
The upcoming sixth-generation of V8 powertrains is expected to include some type of optional electrification since GM is shifting towards hybrids and plug-in hybrids due to lower-than-expected EV sales, especially in the truck segment.
The first vehicle set to use this new generation of engines will be the 2027 Corvette; however, St. Catharines won’t be supplying engines for this model.
Instead, these sixth-gen V8s will also be produced at Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York and Flint Engine Operations in Flint, Michigan.
St. Catharines will specifically focus on building engines for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra as they enter their new generation later this year. The Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban along with GMC Yukon and Yukon XL are also anticipated to feature engines manufactured in St. Catharines.
No specific date has been announced for when production of these new engines will start; however, General Motors mentions that equipment has already begun arriving at the factory.
2026 Chevrolet Silverado | Photo: Chevrolet
Details about these new engines are still limited; what we do know is they’ll deliver more power than current V8s thanks to advancements in combustion and thermal management technology.
A portion of that $691 million investment will go toward tooling and machinery upgrades while remaining funds will cover renovations at the facility.
Given its closure of CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll a few months ago, some people were skeptical about General Motors’ commitment to maintaining a manufacturing base in Canada.
This worry appears misplaced since alongside this latest investment announcement for St. Catharines, GM has also allocated $343 million toward its Oshawa assembly plant which is set to build next-generation pickup trucks powered by those sixth-generation V8 engines.
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