GM, Ford Team Up to Develop New Transmission

Two of Detroit’s “Big 3” are dropping the competition and working together to develop the transmission of the future.

FOX News Radio’s Chris Hoenig spoke to one of the project’s leaders:

Ford and GM are jointly developing new front-wheel drive 9- and rear-wheel drive 10-speed automatic transmissions.

(Renneker) “Both of these products we expect to improve our fuel economy of any vehicle we use them in by up to 5%.”

Ford Chief Engineer Craig Renneker says the new transmissions are still several years away from hitting the market.

(Renneker) “The rear-wheel drive we’re designing for light truck and passenger car applications, and the front-wheel drive is being designed for sort of our mid-size front-wheel drive vehicles.”

Working together saves the companies – and consumers – on parts costs.  They’ve done it before, developing a six-speed transmission found in Ford’s Fusion and Escape models and Chevy’s Cruze and Malibu.

Chris Hoenig, FOX News Radio.