Chrysler Claims Eight-Speed Transmissions Save Customers $2.5 Billion in Gasoline

TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic contributes to best-in-class fuel economy in 2WD and 4WD Ram pickup trucks

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  • TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmissions now in more than one million vehicles worldwide
  • Vehicles projected to save more than 700 million gallons of gasoline; worth an estimated $2.5 billion
  • Total estimated reduction in C02 emissions – more than six million metric tonnes
  • TorqueFlite transmissions in model-year 2014 vehicles contribute to 19 fuel-economy/driving-range benchmarks across four vehicle segments

Chrysler’s TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmissions – first of their kind available on mainstream-brand vehicles, including Ram trucks – now power more than one million vehicles worldwide.

Chrysler projects the transmissions save their owners a collective 700 million gallons of fuel per year, compared with their predecessors that featured five- or six-speed automatics. That quantity of gasoline is worth approximately $2.5 billion at the pump, based on current fuel-price forecasts. And they will also reduce combined C02 emissions by more than six million metric tonnes.

Depending on the application, a TorqueFlite transmission can account for fuel-economy improvements of up to nine percent, compared with a more conventional automatic.

“The TorqueFlite’s wide 7.03 ratio spread is the reason it can deliver such superior performance,” said Jeffrey Lux, VP of transmission powertrain at Chrysler. “This enables engines to operate at peak efficiency in a broader range of driving conditions.”

TorqueFlite eight-speed transmissions in model-year 2014 vehicles also contribute to 19 Chrysler Group fuel-economy or driving-range benchmarks across four vehicle segments.

When the TorqueFlite 8HP45/845RE made its debut in model-year 2012 as the world’s first eight-speed available outside the luxury market, the transmission was mated exclusively to Chrysler Group’s award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 in the Charger and Chrysler 300 lineups.

Since then, the TorqueFlite 845RE and 8HP70 have migrated, respectively, to Pentastar- and HEMI-powered versions of the Dodge Durango, Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee lineups. The 8HP70 also  serves EcoDiesel versions of the 1500 and Grand Cherokee.

In the Ram 1500, TorqueFlite’s thermal management system quickly raises engine and transmission fluid temperature. It improves fuel efficiency by 1.7% by reducing the parasitic losses that occur when engine oil and transmission fluid are in their natural, lower-viscosity states.

Model-year 2014 benchmarks Chrysler claims TorqueFlite technology contributes to include:

  • Best-in-class city fuel economy, 2WD full-sized pickups (20 mpg; Ram 1500)
  • Best-in-class highway fuel economy, 2WD full-sized pickups (28 mpg; Ram 1500)
  • Best-in-class combined fuel economy, 2WD full-sized pickups (23 mpg; Ram 1500)
  • Best-in-class city fuel economy, 4WD full-sized pickups (19 mpg; Ram 1500)
  • Best-in-class highway fuel economy, 4WD full-sized pickups (27 mpg; Ram 1500)
  • Best-in-class combined fuel economy, 4WD full-sized pickups (22 mpg; Ram 1500)
  • Best-in-class city fuel economy, 2WD mid-size SUVs, non-hybrid (22 mpg; Jeep Grand Cherokee)
  • Best-in-class highway fuel economy, 2WD mid-size SUVs (30 mpg; Jeep Grand Cherokee)
  • Best-in-class combined fuel economy, 2WD mid-size SUVs, non-hybrid (25 mpg; Jeep Grand Cherokee)
  • Best-in-class driving range, mid-size SUV (730+ miles; Jeep Grand Cherokee)
  • Best-in-class driving range, full-size SUV with V-6 (600+ miles; Dodge Durango, full-size SUV)
  • Best-in-class driving range, gasoline-powered mid-size SUV (600+ miles; Jeep Grand Cherokee)
  • Best-in-class highway fuel economy, full-size RWD sedan with V-6 (31 mpg highway; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)
  • Best-in-class highway fuel economy, full-size AWD sedan with V-6 (27 mpg city; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)
  • Unsurpassed* city fuel economy, full-size AWD sedan with V-6 (18 mpg city; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)
  • Unsurpassed* combined fuel economy, full-size RWD sedan with V-6 (23 mpg; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)
  • Unsurpassed* combined fuel economy, full-size AWD sedan with V-6 (21 mpg; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)
  • Unsurpassed* city fuel economy, full-size RWD sedan with V-6 (19 mpg; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)
  • Unsurpassed* city fuel economy, full-size AWD sedan with V-6 (18 mpg; Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300)

Starting in model-year 2015, the TorqueFlite 8HP70 transmission can be paired with HEMI-equipped Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Challenger SRTs.

The TorqueFlite 845RE is produced under license from ZF Friedrichshafen AG at Chrysler Group’s manufacturing complex in Kokomo, IN. The 8HP70 and 8HP90, respectively, are produced at ZF’s plants in Gray Court, SC, and Saarbrucken, Germany.

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