[car fanatics]

Source
Photo: Copyright 2012 Theodore Donnell Hicks III / Car Fanatics Forum

Eight-speed transmissions, more common in luxury vehicles made by the likes of BMW AG and Volkswagen AG's Audi, will spread throughout Chrysler's lineup beginning late this year, said Mircea Gradu, vice president of transmission powertrain and driveline engineering.

The company will introduce the industry's first nine-speed transmissions by the first half of 2013, he said.

"I'm convinced that, sooner or later, others will come up with similar solutions," Gradu said. "Hopefully, the time will be as long as possible until they catch up with the technology."

While rivals tout hybrid cars, plug-in hybrids and pure electrics, CEO Sergio Marchionne is betting he can meet regulatory requirements primarily by improving traditional gasoline engines with the better transmissions.

[MOPAR74]

[McLovin]

When will they offer anything that averages 45mpg???? Who gives a duo about only improving hwy mpg.

[Scout]

McLovin;222422 Wrote:When will they offer anything that averages 45mpg???? Who gives a duo about only improving hwy mpg.

My guess would be people that do a lot of hwy driving.

[jaybird]

Yea, like people that work in Dearborn and yet live all the way in north Oakland County!

[McLovin]

jaybird;222472 Wrote:Yea, like people that work in Dearborn and yet live all the way in north Oakland County!

I do drive a long distance each day to work and back, nearly entirely on the highway. But my highway driving is still only about 60%, because I am always on the run, and on weekends too. That shows in my fuel economy avg of only about 22-23mpg. That is prob pretty common.

My point again, relates to Sergio's comment that they don't need hybrids and will instead just offer more gears. More gears modestly improves hwy mpg, and barely touches city mpg. Thus, your avg barely budges.

I will argue till I am blue in the face, that far more people drive city biased avg, instead of hwy biased. Thus, there are many who could appreciate a hybrid that manages 45mpg. No transmission in the world will get them close to that.

[MOPAR74]

Last I heard they are still working on hybrid versions of their cars.... its been awhile since I had heard any news about them though...

[McLovin]

That would be best for them.
I think we are all in agreement that it would be a mistake not to.
You can be a little late to the party, but not too much.

[BasiliskSt]

A lot of the hybrid "advantage" is from "start-stop" -- not running the engine when standing still. My understanding is that FIAT Chrysler will offer start-stop as a feature.

Of course Hybrids further offer low speed on electric, further extending when the ICE engine does not have to run.

But the stop and go of city driving means even start-stop technology can significantly boost city fuel economy.

[RougeRiver]

The eight speed automatic being used by Chrysler has an optional configuration that substitutes an E-motor for the torque converter. There are a lot of published patent applications directed to control systems that enable an E-motor to mimic the function of a torque converter.

IMO, having an E-motor that can augment the ICE is the best was to facilitate ICE stop start. Substituting an E-motor for a torque converter also yields a compact structure that can convert negative acceleration into stored energy.

I would not worry, if I was a Chrysler fan.

[RougeRiver]

BasiliskSt;222651 Wrote:A lot of the hybrid "advantage" is from "start-stop" -- not running the engine when standing still. My understanding is that FIAT Chrysler will offer start-stop as a feature.

Of course Hybrids further offer low speed on electric, further extending when the ICE engine does not have to run.

But the stop and go of city driving means even start-stop technology can significantly boost city fuel economy.

Another advantage, often unoticed, is that E drive can be used during cold start up. More than 50% of emissions (note C02 is not an emission) are due to cold start up. For example, hitting the throttle of a cold ICE spews a lot of unburned hydrocarbons due to the cat not being at full temperature.

Well, if the control module can use the E-motor for that throttle blip during the first few minutes after cold start up, then the entire system will do much better with repsect the the federal emissions test.

The above problem is one reason we see the move to smaller ICEs.

Yes, one can use DOD and more gears to get a better fuel economy number for a large displacement engine but the larger heat sink still take more time to heat up.

The combination of emissions and fuel economy is what is driving hybrid technology and ICE downsizing.