General Motors’ Baltimore transmission plant has begun production of a two-mode hybrid transmission – claimed to be the only hybrid transmission designed and built in the United States by a major automaker.
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The transmission will appear first in the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids, the industry’s only full-size hybrid SUVs which GM’s Arlington, Texas, assembly plant will begin building next month.
Around 500 US-based GM engineers and 350 production workers have been assigned to the two-mode programme, GM said. Over 75% of the program’s suppliers are US-based in 16 states.
GM spent $118m preparing the Baltimore plant, including new machinery and tooling and a 100,000-square-foot addition.
Next year, the plant will begin building hybrid transmissions for another five vehicles, including the Cadillac Escalade full-size SUV and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Crew Cab full-size pickups.
The two-mode hybrid transmission reduces fuel consumption by providing electric-only launch and drive capability, engine-off at idle and during vehicle deceleration, electric boost to assist the petrol engine and capturing electric energy during vehicle deceleration.
It combines two electric motors and four fixed gears, packaged within the same space as a conventional automatic transmission. This arrangement allows electrically variable operation, as well as providing four fixed gear ratios, providing advantages in combined (city and highway) fuel economy, dynamics and towing capability.
GM’s Baltimore Transmission facility opened in 2000, and its 415 hourly and salaried workers also build the A1000 series automatic transmission.
