More is better, and 8-speed automatic transmissions are now under development at GM.
Toledo Transmission Operations has now made the 2 millionth six-speed automatic transmission for General Motors rear-wheel-drive vehicles. The milestone comes 21 months after it built the 1 millionth six-speed. The so-called RWD6 transmission is built for the Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro, Silverado HD, Tahoe, Suburban and Express, GMC Sierra HD, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Savana and Cadillac Escalade.
Other automakers have 8-speed transmissions in production, and 9-speed automatics are under development. The more speeds a transmission has, the more fuel efficient the powertrain. GM has said that future Toledo production plans include a $322 million investment to produce the next generation of fuel efficient GF6 Gen3 and RWD eight-speed transmissions.
“The entire workforce exhibits a sense of ownership and pride in the transmissions they build,” said Donald Morand of GM. “This continued dedication will lead us into our next big launch – the eight-speed – and the shared vision of continued improvement will make us successful.”
