Page 32 - On The Move - Volume 16, Issue 4

Hyundai Reveals Advanced Transmission for Hybrids

Hyundai has developed what it calls the “ASC applies new control logic software to the
world’s first active shift control transmission hybrid control unit, which then controls the elec-
technology for hybrid vehicles and says it is set tric motor to align the rotational speeds of the
for mass production. The technology “optimizes engine and transmission to reduce gear shift time
transmission efficiency by monitoring gear shifts 30%,” Hyundai says. It also delivers smoother
500 times a second, precisely adjusting the trans- gear changes in spite of quicker shift times.
mission rotation speed” for faster shift times, the With the synchronization, shift time is
automaker says. The system will premiere in the reduced from 500 milliseconds to 350 millisec-
upcoming Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and eventually onds. Hyundai says this not only improves hybrid
will be used in other Hyundai and Kia hybrids. vehicles’ acceleration performance and fuel
economy but also durability of the transmission
by minimizing friction during gear shift.
“The development of world’s first ASC
technology is a remarkable innovation which in-
corporates precise motor control to the automatic
transmission,” says KyoungJoon Chang, Hyundai
vice president and head of Powertrain Control
System Group. “It will not only save fuel but also
provide a more fun driving experience for our
customers,” Chang says in a statement.
Conventional hybrid vehicles lack torque
converters to further improve fuel economy
because torque converters lose energy during the
process of transmission. “Although fuel-efficient,
such a system also requires longer shift times
to ensure smoother gear changes,”
Hyundai says.
Source: Ward’s Auto

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