General Motors Corp. and Ford put aside their long-term competitiveness, to jointly develop a new generation of fuel-efficient automatic transmission.
The company said on Monday that their engineers will work together to design the nine and ten-speed gearbox, will enter their new cars and trucks a lot.
When the transfer is more gear, the engine does not work as hard. This can save fuel. As long as the transition is smooth, most customers will not give much thought to its transmission.
Fierce competitors, U.S. auto sales ranked first and second, they will save millions of dollars could be spent on the field, apart from other car manufacturers, such as quiet rides and beautiful interiors.
Estimated that in the end how much they can save, but each said transmission cost hundreds of millions of dollars to develop. The gear transmission, more complex and expensive, it is the development and establishment.
"While we still can truly competitive, we can cooperate, it makes sense, said:" GM spokesman Dan Flores. "We are still in the market every day to play more than sales."
The savings will help the company to maintain price competitiveness. Would not say when the new transmission will be displayed in cars and trucks, although the design work has already begun. Previous, jointly designed six-speed transmission for about three years.
The company will transfer production separately. They may order parts from the same company, saving millions of dollars, dedicated transmission to predict IHS Automotive analyst David Petrovsky said.
In general, the more gear transmission is more efficient, because they allow the engine to do less work to maintain the movement of cars and trucks, but also has the power required to accelerate. Gears, the maximum number of transmissions of Ford and General VI.
Industry analysts say that if properly designed, nine-speed automatic transmission can raise gas mileage 5-10% of the six-speed model. For example, for the Chevrolet Cruze compact, equal to 38 on the highway is estimated that at least more than two miles.
Currently, Ford and General Motors in the transmission speed of the game behind. Several other car manufacturers, such as Chrysler and Land Rover nine-speed quickly. Many car manufacturers on the road has an eight-speed transmission. GM and Ford have said that the joint research will help them develop faster transmission.
All three Detroit car manufacturers had to cut transmission development to financial problems, as early as in 2008, when they run, say, a Detroit-area forecasting firm LMC Automotive engine and transmission analyst Kevin Riddle.
"The joint development is really to help them, and taken back to a more level playing field," he said.
This is not difficult to estimate the territory of the two Detroit car manufacturers. Their six-speed gearbox in 2002 to work. So far, the company has produced 800 million to jointly develop transmission.
Petrovsky said that this is an unusual car manufacturers to work together big-ticket items, such as engines or gas-electric hybrid system, but with the transmission is rare.
The company does not want any antitrust issues, even if they together control one-third of the U.S. auto market. Counsel recalls the 2002 agreement, the federal government did not ask any questions. Justice Department spokesman would not comment on the new agreement.