Chrysler to Build ZF's Fuel-Efficient 8-Speed Transmission in Indiana
By Scott Doggett June 9, 2010
By Danny King, Contributor
Chrysler Group will buy eight-speed transmissions from German drivetrain maker ZF and reached an agreement to reproduce them in the U.S. starting in 2013, as the U.S. automaker looks to meet more stringent U.S. fuel economy standards over the next few years, the company said in a statement today.
Chrysler, which will receive the transmissions directly from ZF's German facilities for the next three years, will invest about $300 million to retrofit its Kokomo, Indiana, plant so that it may start producing the eight-speed transmissions starting in 2013, the company said in a separate statement today.
As part of the investment, the automaker, which employs about 1,200 people at the facility, received a tax break from the city of Kokomo, which is about 50 miles north of Indianapolis and has about 50,000 residents.
Chrysler's financial troubles have caused it to lag behind competing U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford Motor Co. in adopting and developing hybrid and battery-electric technologies.
Chrysler, which had the worst average fuel economy of the U.S. companies for the '08 model year, slowed its previously announced vehicle electrification plans and now intends to meet federal fuel-efficiency standards by utilizing gasoline engine efficiency technologies developed by new majority owner Fiat and adding more small cars to its lineup, in addition to using the new transmission for some of its larger vehicles.
In all, Chrysler, which owns neighborhood-electric vehicle maker GEM, says it will boost overall fuel economy by more than 25 percent over the next few years.
"The new eight-speed transmission that we'll be producing in Kokomo will transform our future product line, but equally important, ensures the future viability of our Kokomo facilities and our dedicated workforce," Scott Garberding, senior vice president and head of manufacturing of Chrysler, said in a statement.
Chrysler, which was acquired by Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler for $37 billion in 1998, was sold to Cerberus Capital Management in 2007 for $7.4 billion. The company filed for bankruptcy last year before being taken under control by Fiat.
ZF, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, makes transmissions for BMW's7-series sedans and the Porsche 911 Carrera, among other vehicles. The company, whose six-speed transmission has been sold in 6 million cars since debuting eight years ago, estimates that its eight-speed transmission boosts fuel economy by 14 percent relative to five-speed transmissions and by 6 percent compared to its own six-speed.
The new transmission will contribute to an overall fuel-economy improvement across the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Truck product lineup. More sophisticated and efficient than traditional five- and six-speed automatic transmissions, the new eight-speed is proof of Chrysler Group's commitment to fuel economy, the company said.
Specific product information and timing for the new transmission will come at a later date. But, in general, the higher selection of gears allows for more uses of the engine's power band - the range of operating speeds under which the engine is able to operate efficiently - allowing for higher fuel economy and power output.
While manual transmissions generally offer better fuel economy than automatic torque-converter transmissions - the disparity has been somewhat offset with the introduction of locking torque converters on automatic transmissions - there's no denying that the greater number of gears, the better the fuel economy.
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"there's no denying that the greater number of gears, the better the fuel economy"
Maybe and only to a point.
Going from a 3 to 4 speed auto was a big jump as it allowed much lower engine speeds on the hwy.
However there is a limit to how low the engine can turn and still have adaquate torque and 4 speeds can easily do that.
The advantages of 5 and 6 speeds are in driveability more then mileage. Mileage gains for them come from todays more advanced computers being able to be in the exact right gear more of the time to keep the engine at it's most efficent speed. That only works if you drive with a light foot and let the computer control the transmission.
This is one reason why you see such a wide spread between best and worst milege these days. You can get great mileage IF you drive just right.
7 and 8 speeds just take that idea and step it up a notch. Carefully programed to get the max EPA numbers, the cars likely fall short in the real world more then their more basic predessors.
So yes it is a good thing but don't expect miracles unless you're willing to play the game.
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