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.
So....
If this helps improve fuel consumption by (say) 4% does this cost come out of the $6000 per vehicle Lutz talks about, or is this just normal R&D?
Good work anyway, PLEASE use it to improve fuel economy!!
Posted by: Kevin | 18 May 2007 at 10:02 AM
I think this is the Ford /GM joinly developed transmission. They claim it cost them 750 million together. I do not know if that included the plant to build them.
THe EV-1 cost a billion for a entire car and it waws an entirely new technology and they are still complaining about it, all the was to the bankrupcy hearing I hope...
Posted by: joe padula | 18 May 2007 at 07:09 PM