DETROIT, April 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The often overlooked
transmission is proving to be a secret weapon for Ford Motor Company (NYSE:
F) in the quest for improved fuel economy.
"Transmission technology is playing a key role in bringing down fuel
consumption," said Craig Renneker, chief engineer for new automatic
transmissions for Ford Powertrain Operations. "That's why Ford is rolling
out an industry-leading array of fuel-efficient, six-speed automatic
transmissions on more than half of the North American product lineup,
including the new 2009 Ford F-150."
And there is more to come. Later this year, Ford will begin producing a
new fuel-saving, front-wheel drive six-speed transmission for use first in
the 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, which go on sale this summer.
Hybrids, fuel cells and advanced internal combustion engines will
remain at the forefront this week when more than 35,000 automotive
engineers gather in Detroit for the 2008 SAE World Congress. But the role
of advanced transmissions also will be highlighted in panel discussions and
technical papers at the annual conference.
New transmission technologies are a key part of Ford's strategy to
deliver sustainable, quality vehicles that customers want and value. The
new transmissions deliver 4 to 6 percent improvement in fuel efficiency on
average compared with typical four- and five-speed gearboxes.
"Ford is on the cutting edge of advanced transmission technology,"
Renneker said. "We've introduced an array of advanced transmission from
multispeed automatics to CVTs, but we're not used to making headlines. Our
objective is for the transmission to be invisible to the customer with its
performance and smoothness, so I guess we tend to fade into the
background."
However, Renneker and his gearbox experts have much to talk about,
particularly the highly sophisticated six-speed automatic transmissions in
North America and a new dual-clutch transmission called Powershift, which
is already delivering diesel fuel economy improvements of 10 percent to the
Focus in Europe. Powershift also is planned for future vehicles in North
America.
"These new technologies are all about fuel economy," Renneker said.
"Particularly, here with the six-speed autos, we're delivering a wide ratio
span that provides a high top gear for fuel-efficient cruising while
delivering good launch feel for lower displacement engines. This technology
will mate perfectly with the new Ford EcoBoost engines that are on the
way."
The significant advancements in automatic transmission technology mean
that more drivers in North America will reap the fuel economy benefits
traditionally enjoyed by vehicle owners with manual transmissions.
Philip Yuhasz, director of transmission and driveline engineering at
Ford, will be speaking on a panel on the role of transmissions of the
future on consumer buying decisions at the 2008 SAE World Congress.
Yuhasz's presentation highlights the differences in customer preferences
between the United States and Europe. Yuhasz will also share his insight
into the role of different government regulations and testing regimes for
driving manufacturers to develop different technologies for regional needs.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
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Related links:
http://www.ford.com
CONTACT:
Alan Hall, +1-313-594-3744, or
ahall32@ford.com, or Said Deep, +1-313-658-0104, or
sdeep@ford.com
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