Ruppersberger Applauds GM for Building Hybrid Transmission at White Marsh Plant

(White Marsh, MD) - Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) applauded General Motors for building its first hybrid transmission for light trucks at its Baltimore Transmission Plant in White Marsh.  The Congressman was on hand as the first transmission was hoisted off the assembly line during a special ceremony at the plant on October 29, 2007. 
 
“Hybrid vehicles help protect our environment for our children and grandchildren and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  I am pleased that the first hybrid transmission for light trucks is being built in America by workers at the Baltimore Transmission Plant in White Marsh.  Jobs are the gasoline that fuels our economy.  We have a highly skilled workforce in Baltimore County that is putting the pedal to the metal and creating a competitive and environmentally friendly vehicle that consumers will want to drive,” said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD).  
  
The 2-mode hybrid transmission will debut in the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid.  The transmission uses gasoline and battery power.  The nation’s largest auto maker says 500 highly trained U.S. based GM engineers and more than 350 highly skilled United Auto Workers (UAW) are assigned to the 2-mode program.  GM invested $118 million to prepare the Baltimore Transmission Plant for production of the new transmission. 

Congressman Ruppersberger is a champion of federal hybrid legislation that offers Americans valuable tax credits when they purchase hybrid vehicles.  The Congressman sponsored legislation in 2004 and 2005 that encourages people to drive environmentally friendly hybrids by creating a Clean Vehicle Tax Credit of up to $4000.  The language in the Congressman’s bill was included in the Energy bill that passed Congress in 2005.  When the Congressman was the Baltimore County Executive, he played a critical role in encouraging Allison Transmission now the Baltimore Transmission Plant to build its facility in White Marsh. 

Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Governor Martin O’Malley, and Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith were on hand at the ceremony as well.

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