Chrysler Eyeing 8-Speed Transmission Expansion
The Chrysler Group is hoping to invest $266 million to boost production of its 8-speed transmissions in Kokomo, Ind., and has gained a tentative approval from the town's council for a 10-year property tax abatement on new equipment.

Photo of Kokomo Transmission Plant courtesy of Chrysler.

Photo of Kokomo Transmission Plant courtesy of Chrysler.
The Chrysler Group is hoping to invest $266 million to boost production of its 8-speed transmissions in Kokomo, Ind., and has gained a tentative approval from the town's council for a 10-year property tax abatement on new equipment.
The Kokomo Common Council on Dec. 8 gave a unanimous first approval to the plan, which must gain a second approval following a Dec. 22 public hearing before the council, said Jodi Tinson, a Chrysler spokeswoman.
Chrysler has invested $1.5 billion in the Kokomo Transmission Plant in the past five years toward production of 8-speed transmissions for five vehicles including the Ram 1500, Dodge Durango, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. So far this year, Chrysler has sold more than 800,000 of those nameplates.
The Chrysler 200's 9-speed transmission is built at the Indiana Transmission Plant No. 1 and the Tipton (Ind.) Transmission Plant.
More Operations

Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
Gary Van Orden Retires After Nearly Four Decades in Commercial Fleet
From answering customer calls at Ford Motor Company to leading fleet sales across multiple OEMs and a fleet management company, Gary Van Orden's career reflects nearly four decades of leadership in commercial fleet.
Read More →
How Stellantis Plans to Get Ahead of Fleet Downtime
Vehicle acquisition may grab the headlines, but fleet uptime increasingly determines operating success. Darren Bradshaw of Mopar North America gives the details.
Read More →
Hyundai Releases 2027 Commercial Program Incentives
The 2027 Model Year "Fleet Street Incentives" are available to commercial and government fleets.
Read More →
It's All Downhill from Here! Fleet Industry Raises $22,000 for Skilled Trades Scholarships
Work Truck’s Lauren Fletcher and Automotive Fleet’s Chris Brown turned a friendly racing rivalry into $22,000 for automotive technology and skilled trades scholarships.
Read More →

