GM To Invest $332M In Toledo Transmission Plant

18 May 2007

GM will invest $332 million in its Toledo, Ohio transmission plant to produce a new six-speed, front-wheel-drive automatic transmission that will deliver a balance of performance and fuel economy in GM’s mid-size vehicle segment.

The investment is in addition to a $540 million investment GM announced last year for rear-wheel-drive six-speed transmission production at the Toledo Transmission plant. Construction of the 400,000 sq. ft. project is about two months ahead of schedule.

The new investment includes facility renovation, new machinery, equipment and special tooling to support the production of the new Hydra-Matic 6T40/45 six-speed transmission. In addition to the $332 million facility investment, GM will invest an additional $57 million for vendor tooling, containers and investments at other locations necessary to support the Toledo operations.

The new 6T40/45 transmission allows the vehicle to stay in first gear longer, improving launch and acceleration. It also retains an overdrive in top gear for low-rpm highway cruising. The transmission’s gear set is on the same axis as the engine crankshaft centerline, which makes the entire powertrain more compact. This provides chassis designers more flexibility in designing the vehicle’s interior space compared to a conventional off-axis transaxle.