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Ford files patent for 11-speed transmission

The automatic transmission seemed limited to three or four gears for decades, and then the automotive world slowly started to see more ratios becoming available. Today, seven-, eight- or nine-speed gearboxes have become rather common. Ford even has an automatic with 10 gears on the way for the future F-150 Raptor. The Blue Oval might not be done yet, though, because the company also now has a patent on an 11-speed box. The filing, which was discovered by AutoGuide, says this idea "produces eleven forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio by selective engagement of three shift elements in various combinations," and the company outlines three different ways of making this possible. The advantage of adding one more ratio is that the gearbox should be able to keep the revs in the ideal portion of the engine's torque curve even longer. Obviously, automakers patent ideas constantly, and applying for one is no guarantee that the tech ever arrives on the market. Conversely, these documents provide a tiny glimpse at one of the brand's focuses of development. If you're mechanically minded or just curious, you can read the entire application here for the technical nitty-gritty.

2023 Detroit Auto Show Mega Photo Gallery: All the new reveals and first looks

The 2023 Detroit Auto Show didn’t play host to a lot of reveals, but on top of the new cars that were revealed there, automakers brought a whole bunch of cars we havenÂ’t seen in person yet. In a show of home strength, all the big reveals came from the hometown Big Three, with Ford, GM and Stellantis playing host to the most important unveilings. We took Huntington Place by storm to capture all of the new cars and sights to see in Detroit, and you can see everything we did in the series of galleries below. Interesting special editions like the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black Edition and the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro CollectorÂ’s Edition found some floor space alongside bigger debuts like the refreshed gasoline-powered F-150 and 2024 Jeep Gladiator with its new interior. If you wanted to see it all yourself, make sure you check out our guide on how to attend the public show days. Scroll on down to see all of the galleries for all of the big Detroit debuts.   2024 Ford F-150 2024 Ford F-150 Tremor View 22 Photos   2024 GMC Acadia 2024 GMC Acadia AT4 View 17 Photos   2025 Cadillac CT5 2025 Cadillac CT5 View 15 Photos   2024 Jeep Gladiator 2024 Jeep Gladiator Live View 10 Photos   2025 Ford Mustang GTD Mustang GTD View 9 Photos   2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally View 10 Photos   Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison View 6 Photos   2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black View 11 Photos   2024 Chevrolet Camaro CollectorÂ’s Edition ZL1 1LE 2024 Chevrolet Camaro Collector's Edition ZL1 1LE View 8 Photos   2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali View 8 Photos   Related video: Design/Style Green Detroit Auto Show Cadillac Chevrolet Ford GM GMC Jeep Technology Truck Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Sedan

New autonomous testing ground in Michigan will help battle bad weather

If one of the big weaknesses of autonomous vehicles is their ability to navigate in the snow, consider this a trial by fire. The American Center for Mobility says it has opened its $110 million driverless car testing facility on the site of a former General Motors assembly plant in Michigan, with Toyota and auto supplier Visteon the first to begin testing this week. The ACM proving ground is a 500-acre site at historic Willow Run in Ypsilanti Township, near Ann Arbor. It's one of 10 sites designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as pilot proving ground sites to test AV technologies. It features a variety of simulated environments to test driverless cars, including a 2.5-mile highway loop, two double overpasses, intersections, roundabouts and a 700-foot curved tunnel. It also opens just as the region experiences a series of snowstorms and the first frigid temperatures of the season. That ability to test autonomous vehicles in a wide variety of weather conditions is important, as autonomous vehicle sensors have struggled to handle cold, wet and snowy conditions. Google parent Alphabet in October said its Waymo division was expanding its winter testing operations to Michigan, making it the sixth state where it's testing its driverless car systems. In a Medium blog post, Waymo CEO John Krafcik wrote that "This type of testing will give us the opportunity to assess the way our sensors perform in wet, cold conditions. And it will also build on the advanced driving skills we've developed over the last eight years by teaching our cars how to handle things like skidding on icy, unplowed roads." Waymo also opened a development center in suburban Detroit in 2016, working with Fiat Chrysler to integrate its autonomous technology into Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans. Visteon began testing and validating its DriveCore autonomous driving platform to evaluate algorithms, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology and other systems. Toyota used the facility Wednesday to begin orientation and driver training. ACM has so far secured $110 million to construct the first two phases from founders Ford, Hyundai America Technical Center, Toyota and Visteon, and says it expects to announce more investment soon.