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Ford will more than double the number of North American vehiclesequipped with fuel-efficient, 6-speed automatic transmissions by the end ofnext year.
By the end of 2012, 98 percent of Ford's North Americantransmissions will be advanced 6-speed gearboxes.
The 6F35 is the company's newest 6-speed, debuting in the 2009Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner and delivering 4 to 6 percent improved fueleconomy.
DEARBORN, Mich., May 7 -- The big shift is on at Ford Motor Company, as the automaker plans to more than double the number -- to 1.4 million-- of fuel-efficient, 6-speed automatic transmissions in its North Americancars and trucks by the end of 2009.
The advanced transmissions provide customers 4 to 6 percent improvedfuel economy compared with typical 4- and 5-speed gearboxes, as well asbetter acceleration and a quieter and more refined driving experience.
"Advanced six-speed automatic transmissions are an important element inour sustainability strategy to improve fuel economy for our customers andreduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in our new vehicles by 2020,"said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Ford North America PowertrainOperations. "They also deliver improved acceleration and smoothershifting, all at a great value for consumers."
By the end of 2012, 98 percent of Ford's North American automatictransmissions will be advanced 6-speed gearboxes, maintaining theautomaker's position as a leader of high-performance, fuel-efficientpowertrains.
Less RPM, More MPG
Ford's newest 6-speed is the 6F35, which debuts in the 2009 Ford Escapeand Mercury Mariner sport-utility crossover vehicles and replaces thecurrent 4-speed. It also will be used in the 2009 Mazda Tribute, as wellas two other vehicles early next year.
For 2009, the Escape and Mariner receive more powerful engines, but evenwith that improved power, they also increase their fuel economy by 1 mpgthanks to the new 6F35.
Key to the new 6-speed transmissions is increased gear span comparedwith 4- and 5-speeds. This allows vehicle powertrains to operate at a moreoptimum level, depending on the particular driving situation.
"For example, a higher first gear delivers more torque when acceleratingfrom a stop while the deeper overdrive gear enables a vehicle's engine touse less energy at highway cruising speeds, which saves gas," says PhilYuhasz, engineering director, Transmission and Driveline Engineering. "Inaddition, with two more gears, a 6-speed transmission allows the engine tooperate at its optimum efficiency, for a greater period of time, furtherboosting fuel economy."
The 6F35 is produced at Ford's Van Dyke Transmission Plant in SterlingHeights, Mich., and will double the plant's production capacity to 1.3million units annually. Van Dyke also assembles the 6F50 front-wheel-drivetransmission. Last year, 221,000 6F50 transmissions were produced for theFord Taurus, Ford Taurus X, Ford Edge, Mercury Sable and Lincoln MKX.
Quality Engineered
At 84.5 percent customer satisfaction, the 6F50 is three points abovethe industry average for all transmissions, according to the first quarter2008 U.S. Global Quality Research System study conducted for Ford by RDAGroup of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
This year, 6F50 application expands to the all-new 2009 Ford Flex andLincoln MKS. Available with SelectShift in the Lincoln MKS, the automatictransmission also allows manual gear selection for an engaging and sportydriving experience.
Flexible for Added Fuel-Saving Technology
Ford 6-speed gear ratios also play a key role in the company's newPowerShift dual-clutch transmission. Currently used in the new EuropeanFord Focus and Ford C-Max, PowerShift combines the ease and permanentmotion of a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission with theperformance of a manual transmission. It also delivers a fast and sportyshift while maintaining excellent shift smoothness.
"These technologies are all about fuel economy," said Craig Renneker,chief engineer for new automatic transmissions, Ford Powertrain Operations."And our advanced 6-speed transmissions will mate perfectly with the newFord EcoBoost engines that are on the way."
Six-Speed Centers of Excellence
The Van Dyke plant will serve as the company's global center ofexcellence for 6-speed front-wheel-drive transmissions, and the Livonia(Mich.) Transmission Plant will assume the same role for rear-wheel-driveversions.
The third center of excellence for Ford's 6-speed manufacturing is itsSharonville (Ohio) Transmission Plant, which produces gears and othertransmission parts for the Livonia and Van Dyke facilities.
A total investment of $658 million in the three plants was announcedlast year, primarily for new flexible equipment to produce advanced 6-speedtransmissions.
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