All of the transmissions available in the market today has grown exponentially within the last 15 years, all while increasing in complexity. The effect can be that we are actually dealing with a varied quantity of transmitting types including manual, typical automatic, automatic manual, dual clutch, continually variable, split power and real EV.
Until very recently, automotive vehicle producers largely had two types of tranny to select from: planetary automated with torque converter or conventional manual. Today, nevertheless, the volume of choices available demonstrates the changes seen over the industry.

This is also illustrated by the countless various types of vehicles now being produced for the market. And not just conventional vehicles, but also all electric and hybrid vehicles, with each type needing different driveline architectures.

The traditional advancement process involved designing a transmission in isolation from the engine and the rest of the powertrain and vehicle. However, that is changing, with the limitations and complications of the method becoming more widely recognized, and the constant drive among producers and designers to provide optimal efficiency at decreased weight and cost.

New powertrains feature close integration of components like the primary mover, recovery systems and the gearbox, and in addition rely on highly sophisticated control systems. This is to make certain that the best amount of efficiency and functionality is delivered at all times. Manufacturers are under increased pressure to create powertrains that are completely new, different from and much better than the last version-a proposition that’s made more complex by the necessity to integrate brand components, differentiate within the market and do everything on a shorter timescale. Engineering teams are on deadline, and the advancement process must be better and fast-paced than previously.
Until now, the usage of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been the most common way to develop drivelines. This technique involves components and subsystems designed in isolation by silos within the organization that lean toward verified component-level analysis equipment. While they are highly advanced tools that allow users to extract very reliable and accurate data, they remain presenting data that is collected without thought of the complete system.