REPORT: Daimler and BMW decline U.S. transmission joint-venture
Daimler AG is one of a shrinking number of automakers that continues to build its own transmissions, but the parent of Mercedes-Benz is now looking to change that. The automaker has been holding talks with rival BMW about possible powertrain collaborations including transmissions. Mercedes already supplies the two-mode hybrid transmissions that BMW is installing in its forthcoming ActiveHybrid X6. However, a proposal to build a joint factory to produce automatic transmissions in the U.S. for the vehicles being built by both companies here has reportedly been scuttled.
Automotive News also reports that a second proposal to shift Daimler's European transmission operations to a new joint venture with BMW and ZF has also been abandoned. The two automakers had been discussing a jointly developed eight-speed automatic transmission but could not agree on technical details.
Mercedes is still looking for ways to offload its transmission operations, saying that it is not core to its business. This will be increasingly true if more of its vehicles switch to electrified powertrains where single speed reduction gears are all that is required. The two companies are still discussing collaborations on engines, however, including a new three-cylinder unit.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jei 9:06AM (10/14/2009)
It would make sense for BMW to be talking with Chrysler & GM concerning their 2-mode transmissions being built in the US. The two probably have plenty of capacity somewhere that can handle the production.
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pres 9:20AM (10/14/2009)
Guess they're getting tired of the old standby 6L60E (and 4L60E) transmissions they were using for years from GM.
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The Man 2:19PM (10/14/2009)
That picture looks slightly confusing......
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MikeW 7:25PM (10/14/2009)
That is the hybrid-lite MB 7g-tronic.
Joey Mazz 5:52PM (10/14/2009)
Its hilarious how many gears auto trannys are getting these days, 6,7,8,...12? It's all fun and games till you have 150k miles on your slushbox and you find out that replacing it will cost you $10,000!
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MikeW 7:25PM (10/14/2009)
You don't think they do durability testing?
Gears are good, ratio spread is better (to a point)
I am hoping Hyundai's 8 speed automatic has 7.5:1 ratio
Does Porsche really have a > 10:1 ratio spread with their double clutch transmission?
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=158746/pageId=181104
I was thinking that the 1st gear ratio was a typographical error, but seems not it if all the wheels spin through first gear.