Japanese automaker Honda has begun making in Georgia its new 10-speed automatic transmission that will enable smooth shifting for American soccer moms and other drivers starting this spring.
The part, utilizing a new design that reduces friction to improve drivability, will be first integrated into the 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan, with plans to roll it out later into other cars and light trucks made in North America. The Georgia plant is the global lead for this part, the 10AT, within the Honda system.
Honda Precision Parts of Georgia LLC’s new $100 million assembly line is located in Tallapoosa, Ga., in the western part of the state close to the Alabama border. As an example of how supply chains are integrated across state lines in the Southeast, Honda makes the Odyssey minivan in Lincoln, Ala., about an hour’s drive from Tallapoosa. This process is similar to how sister companies Kia and Hyundai share parts and platforms between their plants in Montgomery, Ala., and West Point, Ga., or how German suppliers in North Georgia sell to the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.Even with only one original equipment manufacturer, Kia, Georgia has become a powerhouse in the automotive sector as suppliers serve plants in surrounding states. Honda Precision Parts of Georgia makes 375,000 transmissions per year in Tallapoosa.
The $100 million upgrade was part of a broader investment in transmission infrastructure, including a $49 million investment in production capacity at Honda Transmission Mfg. of America Inc. in Russells Point, Ohio. Honda says it has invested $3 billion in U.S. plants over the last four years.
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