General Motors Opens new Factory in Uzbekistan

According to KHABARKHODRO, General Motors on Tuesday announced that the company and its local joint venture partner UzAvtosanoat opened a new engine plant in Tashkent, 400 kilometers from the automakers’ vehicle manufacturing facility in Asaka.

The new facility is a joint venture between GM and Uzbekistan automotive company UzAvtosanoat. GM has a 52 percent stake and its partner has a stake of 48 percent.

The plant will employ up to 1,200 people making Ecotec 1.2- and 1.5-liter engines. Both engines use a cast-iron block and aluminum head, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. They are both Euro V emissions compliant.

In 2012, the joint venture plans to produce 125,000 automobile engines, in 2013 - 142 000 in 2014 - 205 thousand in 2015 - to go at full capacity.

The first engine that will leave the assembly lines will be installed in the Chevrolet Spark mini car that commands 94 percent share of the Uzbekistan domestic market and is exported to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.