Ford’s Livonia and Sharonville Transmission Plants produce a new six-speed automatic transmission for rear wheel drive vehicles. The additional gears of the six-speed allow the vehicle to run more smoothly and increase fuel economy. The new transmission is used in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products, including SUVs.

The Sharonville Transmission Plant produces up to 7 million gears annually and ships them to Livonia where final assembly of the transmission takes place.

Around $170 million was originally invested in the Livonia plant, to accommodate the new transmission, while $155 million was invested in the Sharonville plant for a new gear machining line. In 2007, an additional 488 million is being invested in Livonia in order to increase production of the six-speed.

Sharonville Transmission Plant also produces a five-speed automatic transmission for rear-wheel-drive vehicles, including the Ford Mustang. Production of the five-speed began in 2003. Ford invested $81 million for production of the five-speed.

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