AMG
21-04-2004, 02:35 AM
No one calls it a partnership, but a collaboration between General Motors and Ford Motor Co. has led to the creation of a new six-speed transmission that will go into production by 2006. The new six-speed is expected to offer up to four percent improvement in fuel economy over traditional four-speed automatic transmissions available in today's front-wheel-drive cars. The new six-speed also will help cut emissions and can be used for all-wheel-drive passenger cars and sport-utility vehicles, said GM and Ford executives, who outlined plans for $720 million in new investment in two plants near Detroit and a third in Ohio.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed back in October 2002, Ford and GM agreed to cooperate on designing, engineering and testing the new transmission as well as working with suppliers to develop and buy components. The production of the new transmissions and the engineering required to package it into a new vehicle was left to each company.
"This new transmission will be a great product, and we are looking forward to producing it at the Warren plant where management, union and employees are working to make it a success," said Tom Stephens, GM group vice president for powertrain. Dave Szczupak, vice president of powertrain operations at Ford, said the automaker plans to invest a total of $370 million in transmission plants in Sterling Heights, Mich., and Sharonville, Ohio. "Six-speeds are the future," Szczupak told the Automotive Press Association. "They help to optimize power, smooth operation and fuel economy. This is why they are going to become more prevalent. Twenty-five years ago, the average American was driving a car with a three-speed automatic, so this is a trend worth noting," he added. The exterior cases of the GM and Ford transmission will be different but on the inside the transmissions will be the same, GM and Ford officials added.
Richard Shoemaker, a top United Auto Workers official, said described the announcement as both unique and heartening at a time when manufacturing jobs were leaving the U.S. for Mexico and China. "This is a win-win for Ford, General Motors and the UAW," added Gerald Bantom, the UAW vice president in charge of the union's Ford department. Dave Cole, director of the Center For Automotive Study in Ann Arbor, said the collaboration between GM and Ford could eventually extend to other kinds of projects. "I don't have any inside information, but it makes sense," Cole said. "This is a new business model," he said. Stephens said despite Ford and GM teams found it relatively easy to work together despite their historic rivalries. "Dave and I agreed we would meet once a quarter to iron out things but we never had to meet," Stephens said. Lawyers for the two companies did obtain an informal approval from the U.S. Justice Department before the collaboration actually got underway in the fall of 2002.
http://x.wieck.com/pv/WKA/2004/04/19/WKA2004041959924_pv.jpg
http://x.wieck.com/pv/WKA/2004/04/19/WKA2004041953157_pv.jpg
Under a memorandum of understanding signed back in October 2002, Ford and GM agreed to cooperate on designing, engineering and testing the new transmission as well as working with suppliers to develop and buy components. The production of the new transmissions and the engineering required to package it into a new vehicle was left to each company.
"This new transmission will be a great product, and we are looking forward to producing it at the Warren plant where management, union and employees are working to make it a success," said Tom Stephens, GM group vice president for powertrain. Dave Szczupak, vice president of powertrain operations at Ford, said the automaker plans to invest a total of $370 million in transmission plants in Sterling Heights, Mich., and Sharonville, Ohio. "Six-speeds are the future," Szczupak told the Automotive Press Association. "They help to optimize power, smooth operation and fuel economy. This is why they are going to become more prevalent. Twenty-five years ago, the average American was driving a car with a three-speed automatic, so this is a trend worth noting," he added. The exterior cases of the GM and Ford transmission will be different but on the inside the transmissions will be the same, GM and Ford officials added.
Richard Shoemaker, a top United Auto Workers official, said described the announcement as both unique and heartening at a time when manufacturing jobs were leaving the U.S. for Mexico and China. "This is a win-win for Ford, General Motors and the UAW," added Gerald Bantom, the UAW vice president in charge of the union's Ford department. Dave Cole, director of the Center For Automotive Study in Ann Arbor, said the collaboration between GM and Ford could eventually extend to other kinds of projects. "I don't have any inside information, but it makes sense," Cole said. "This is a new business model," he said. Stephens said despite Ford and GM teams found it relatively easy to work together despite their historic rivalries. "Dave and I agreed we would meet once a quarter to iron out things but we never had to meet," Stephens said. Lawyers for the two companies did obtain an informal approval from the U.S. Justice Department before the collaboration actually got underway in the fall of 2002.
http://x.wieck.com/pv/WKA/2004/04/19/WKA2004041959924_pv.jpg
http://x.wieck.com/pv/WKA/2004/04/19/WKA2004041953157_pv.jpg