• Ford is revamping its automatic transmission lineup and by 2008 more than 50 percent of its transmissions in North America will be all new.
• Ford is working on new automatic transmission architectures – including 5-speeds, 6-speeds and continuously variable transmissions – that have a wider ratio span between the highest and lowest gear ratios, making better use of engine power and helping to improve fuel efficiency.
• At the same time, Ford is working to improve virtually all of its existing transmissions. As a result, customer satisfaction with Ford’s transmissions is at its highest point in recent years. Ford Motor Company is working together with General Motors Corp. to develop a high-volume, front-wheel-drive 6-speed automatic transmission with an estimated 4 percent to 8 percent improvement in fuel economy over 4-speed automatics.

Ford Motor Company is set to introduce a variety of all new transmissions within the next five years, including the new TorqShift 5-speed automatic transmission, set to go on sale in F-Series Super Duty trucks, an all-new continuously variable transmission (CVT) and new front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive 6-speed automatic transmissions.

These new transmissions will offer significant fuel economy benefits, as well as smoother operation and performance feel, for greater customer satisfaction.

In addition, numerous efficiency improvements – including enhanced torque converter lock-up, new electronic control systems and reduced parasitic losses – will be applied to all existing Ford transmissions to maximize the amount of engine power delivered to the vehicle and to improve their shift quality and durability.

Wider gear ratio spans

The ratio span of an automatic transmission is calculated by dividing the highest forward gear ratio (used for launch) by the top gear ratio (used for highway cruising). Increasing the gear ratio of first gear improves a vehicle’s launch acceleration. Reducing the top gear ratio lowers engine speed during highway driving, which improves fuel economy.

The ratio between the highest and lowest gears also is important for overall vehicle performance. Vehicles with four-speed transmissions typically have a relatively narrow ratio span, between 3.5 and 4.0, and must carefully balance launch performance and highway fuel economy.

“Increasing the overall ratio span can be a ‘win-win’ situation, allowing both performance and fuel economy improvement,” said Phil Yuhasz, chief engineer, Automatic Transmissions, Ford Motor Company. “We are developing our transmission designs to improve this ratio span throughout our full range of product offerings.”

Ford’s new family of continuously variable transmissions, to be offered first in the all-new Ford Freestyle and Ford Five Hundred vehicles beginning in 2004, provide a very wide (6.0) overall ratio span.

Starting in the middle of the decade, Ford’s trucks, SUVs and front- and rear-drive passenger cars also will be getting increased ratio span (6.0) with a new family of 6-speed automatic transmissions. The new 6-speed transmission repackages gearing and other components in a very efficient layout that enabled engineers to squeeze six forward speeds into approximately the same size housing. The new design, with more powerful electronic controls, also eliminates some of the bands and clutches that formerly would have been needed, saving both weight and complexity.

“While new architectures offer the opportunity to increase ratio span, we are also working to continuously improve the fuel efficiency of our existing automatic transmissions and drivelines,” Yuhasz said. “Advancements in friction materials, torque-converter dampers, fluids and control strategies will contribute to overall improvements in fuel economy.”

All-new TorqShift 5-speed automatic br>

Ford’s new TorqShift® is a newly designed 5-speed automatic transmission, which will be available early in the 2003 calendar year on mid-2003 model year Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups and Ford Excursion SUV models equipped with Ford’s new 6.0-liter Power Stroke® Diesel engine. This transmission will replace the 4-speed automatic currently offered in those vehicles.

The new 5-speed automatic features improved gear ratios, higher capacity pumps for better cooling, robust components and simplified shift controls. These features contribute to fuel economy improvements, reliability, smooth shifts and quieter operation.

“The things our customers will really notice about this new transmission will be the durability, robustness and the performance,” Yuhasz said. “The acceleration you get in our new F-Series Super Duty truck, in combination with our new 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel, blows away the competition. Towing performance in particular is awesome.”

A new hill-descend feature will improve driver confidence, particularly while towing. The transmission controller is able to recognize when the vehicle is going downhill, and if the driver taps on the brake, it automatically downshifts to help slow the vehicle. Further braking by the driver prompts another downshift if needed. On uphill towing, transmission shift points automatically adjust to allow the engine to remain in its maximum power zone.