Sata 4000 RP

General Motors and Ford are putting aside their longstanding rivalry to work together to develop a new generation of fuel-efficient automatic transmissions.The companies said Monday that their engineers will jointly design nine- and 10-speed transmissions that will go into many of their new cars and trucks.

When transmissions have more gears, engines don't have to work as hard. That saves fuel. As long as the shifting is smooth, most customers don't give much thought to their transmissions.

The fierce rivals, which rank first and second in U.S. auto sales, say they'll save millions of dollars that can be spent on areas that set them apart from other automakers such as quieter rides and nicer interiors.

Neither would estimate exactly how much they'll save, but each said transmissions cost hundreds of millions of dollars to develop. The more gears a transmission has, the more complex and costly it is to develop and build.

"While we still can be really competitive, we can collaborate where it makes sense," said General Motors Co. spokesman Dan Flores. "We will still fight every day in the marketplace over every sale."

The savings also will help the companies keep their prices competitive. Neither would say when the new transmissions will show up in cars and trucks, although design work already has begun. A previous venture to jointly design six-speed transmissions took about three years.

The companies will manufacture transmissions separately. They'll likely order parts from the same companies, saving millions more dollars, said David Petrovski, an analyst for IHS Automotive who specializes in transmission forecasting.

Generally, transmissions with more gears are more efficient because they allow engines to do less work to keep cars and trucks moving, while still having the power needed for acceleration. The maximum number of gears that Ford and GM transmissions now have is six.

Industry analysts say if engineered correctly, a nine-speed automatic transmission can raise gas mileage five to 10 percent over a six-speed model. For a Chevrolet Cruze compact, for instance, that would equal at least 2 mpg above the current estimate of 38 on the highway.

The joint development will help GM and Ford meet stronger U.S.
government fuel economy standards, which gradually rise to a fleet-wide average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Currently, Ford and GM are behind in the transmission speed race. Several other automakers such as Chrysler and Land Rover have nine-speed coming out soon. Many automakers already have eight-speed transmissions on the road. Both GM and Ford said the joint research would help them develop the transmissions faster.

All three Detroit automakers had to cut transmission development when they ran into financial problems back in 2008, said Kevin Riddell, an engine and transmission analyst with LMC Automotive, a Detroit-area forecasting firm.

"The joint development is really going to help them out and get back onto an even playing field," he said.

This isn't unchartered territory for the two Detroit automakers. They began working on six-speed gearboxes in 2002. So far the companies have produced 8 million jointly-developed transmissions.

It's not unusual for automakers to work together on big ticket items such as engines or hybrid gas-electric powertrains, but working together on transmissions is less common, Petrovski said.

The companies don't expect any anti-trust issues to arise even though together they control one-third of the U.S. auto market. Lawyers reviewed the 2002 agreement and the federal government didn't raise any issues with it. A Justice Department spokeswoman wouldn't comment on the new deal.

rickair7777

Ten speed? Why not just do a Continuously Variable (CV) tranny and be done with it? The only challenge with CV is that drive belt has to replaced frequently (30K miles?) but a 10-20% boost in fuel economy would more than pay for that...especially if you design it to be easy to replace. Or maybe design a belt that lasts longer...

Sata 4000 RP

Have you ever driven a car with a CVT? If you want to move quickly, as you mat the accelerator, the rpms shoot up to redline and hold as the vehicle gradually builds to your desired speed. A totally unnatural feeling IMO.

I currently have a new M37 with a 7spd auto and its slick as snot. I can only imagine what a 10 spd auto would be like behind a motor that makes some power.

Herb Flemmming

Blind leading the blind, they both build ****. Maybe they could master the power window that works for more than 4 years.

FlyJSH

Absolutely! They are annoying as you know what!

WILLBSR2U

Ain't that the truth!

JamesNoBrakes

Earlier generation CVTs, yes, the latest ones are actually doing much better, with faux "gears" for those who want them, and selectable modes, etc. A 10spd might be decent if it's as light as a CVT, but CVT and electric technology will eclipse it.

Cubdriver

Don't know much about it really, but I drove a rented Versa with a CV trans and wasn't very happy with the slippery feeling and sounds it made as the CV slid around. I also suspect they lose some energy to friction. Large trucks have had 9 or 10 gear trans for a long time because they allow a finer gear progression as the truck accelerates, which is really important to avoid engine lugging. Before the advent of high output diesels in the 90s it was really necessary. After that, high power outputs became available and transmissions went from 10+ gears down to 9 and pretty much stayed there. I used to just skip the first 4 if the truck was unloaded and go right into high range (don't tell the company!). Automatics existed were never used because they were too expensive in that torque range.