www.autotechreview.

com April 2018 | Volume 7 | Issue 4

NOW, ALSO
16 GUEST COMMENTARY AVAILABLE ON
Looking to Scale Up Your Business?
Fix Logistics Operations First It’s on

18 INTERVIEW
Pieter Klinkers, CEO,
Maxion Wheels

68 NEW VEHICLE
TVS Infuses Racing DNA Deeper
Into New Apache RTR 160 4V

INNOVATIONS IN TRANSMISSIONS —
POWERING VEHICLES OF TOMORROW POWERED BY
 EDITORIAL

FUTURE OF TRANSMISSIONS
Dear Readers,

After a stellar start last year, the country’s first and only dedicated technical conference on automotive trans-
missions – Transmission.tech – is back for its second edition on April 18 in New Delhi. We can assure you that
we’ve upped the ante, and promise to deliver to you a fascinating day of presentations, new product & technol-
ogy demonstrations, discussions, knowledge sharing and networking. We have more details about the event on
page 55. I look forward to your participation.

The pace of development in automotive transmissions has been steady over the last few years. While the indus-
try focussed largely on addressing the more pressing demands for enhanced engines, safety, comfort and vehi-
cle styling, the need to ensure greater fuel efficiency, lower emissions and improved driving experience have led
to significant work in the area of transmissions in the past few years.

In manual transmissions (MT), the development objectives have been to improve fuel efficiency, enable
smoother transmission shifts and to achieve a compact design. Interestingly, although there are quite a few
transmission technologies being currently used, manuals have been able to hold their ground largely due to
better fuel economy and driver engagement. It is argued that demand for MTs will continue considering their
compatibility with engine down-speeding and cylinder deactivation plus electronic clutch assistance.

Beyond MTs, other alternatives available today include automatic, dual-clutch, continuously variable and auto-
mated manual transmissions. New innovations such as the reversible variable transmission (RVT), 11-speed tri-
ple-clutch transmissions or planetary automatic transmissions are being actively considered.

Do read some extremely exciting articles we have in this edition on the development of transmissions technolo-
gy. The transmission-equipped wheel hub motors developed by NSK, for instance, is a promising drive technol-
ogy for future vehicle generations, including hybrids, EVs and fuel cell vehicles. The torque converter automat-
ic transmission for commercial vehicles promises shift performance on par with a premium passenger car. Like-
wise, there is an article on a seamless-shift two-speed transmission with torque vectoring functionality.

Clearly, these are exciting times to talk transmissions. The industry is working on new innovations to address
the myriad challenges of future mobility. What are the ideal solutions for the Indian market? Which technology
is likely to be popular in the long run? What about local innovations? Transmission.tech 2018 will answer many
of these questions. Have you registered yet?

DEEPANGSHU DEV SARMAH

Editor-in-Chief
New Delhi, April 2018

@deepangshu

autotechreview.com A p r il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4 1

 COVER STORY

INNOVATIONS IN TRANSMISSIONS —
POWERING VEHICLES OF TOMORROW
26, 32, 38, 44, 48 | With fuel economy standards increasing worldwide and growing consumer
demands for more miles per gallon, the automotive industry is looking towards transmissions for the
next big break in fuel savings. As OEMs and suppliers focus on newer and more innovative methods to
increase efficiency, the transmission technology has kept pace with both the mechanical and electronic
needs of vehicles around the world. The automotive transmission plays a vital role in the vehicle
powertrain, yet in an optimum operating environment it is invisible to the customer. Auto Tech Review
explores the technological innovations in transmission design that contribute to the enhancement of
overall vehicle characteristics such as fuel economy, vehicle performance, quality and reliability.

GUEST COMMENTARY

16 Looking to Scale Up Your Business?

Fix Logistics Operations First
Bhaven Shah, Co-founder at Freightbazaar.com

INTERVIEW

18 “Indian Market Expected to Embrace

Aluminium Wheels in a Big Way”
Pieter Klinkers, CEO Maxion Wheels

2
 CONTENTS

INTERACTIONS EVENTS IMPRINT

EDITORIAL
04 Interactions 58 Focusing on R&D Trends for Clean Editor-in-Chief: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah
and Sustainable Mobility deepangshu@autotechreview.com
@deepangshu

60 Deliberating on Future Assistant Editor: Suhrid Barua (New Delhi)

suhrid@autotechreview.com
TECH UPDATE Mobility Solutions @ProsJunoon
Principal Correspondent: Naveen Arul (Bangalore)
22 Cummins – No One Size naveen@autotechreview.com
@naveenarul
Fits All – Objective View of Future VEHICLE CUTAWAYS Senior Correspondent: Anwesh Koley (New Delhi)
Energy Needs anwesh@autotechreview.com
@AnweshKoley
62 Who Supplies What to the
SALES
The Hyundai Verna
Senior Manager: Sudeep Kumar
sudeep@autotechreview.com
COVER STORY Assistant Managers: Pramodh R (Bangalore)
SHOPFLOOR pramodh@autotechreview.com
Sunil Deore (Pune)
26 Transmission-Equipped Wheel Hub
sunil@autotechreview.com
Motor for Passenger Cars 64 Lumax – Focusing on Facilitating EVENTS
Shin Yamamoto, Ryuho Morita, Mitsuru Oike Faster LED Adoption Manager: Vivek Tyagi
vivek@autotechreview.com
PRODUCTION
32 Co2 Potentials of Dual-Clutch
Chief Designer/ Photographer: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay
Transmissions NEW VEHICLE bharat@autotechreview.com
Martin Bahne, Ulrich Frey
68 TVS Infuses Racing DNA Deeper Into Publisher & Managing Director: Sanjiv Goswami
38 Single-Speed Transmission for New Apache RTR 160 4V
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Next-Gen Battery Electric Vehicles Dr RK Malhotra, President, SAEIndia and Director General,
David Gagliardi, Amos Gobetti Petroleum Federation of India

DECODING TECHNOLOGY Shrikant R Marathe, Former Director, Automotive Research Association of

44 Efficient Torque Converter Automatic
Transmission for Commercial Vehicles
Winfried Gründler, Herbert Mozer, Frank Sauter
48 Seamless-Shift Two-Speed
Transmission With Torque
India (ARAI)
Dr Wilfried G Aulbur, Managing Partner, Roland Berger Pvt Ltd
72 Transmitting More Than Torque IV Rao, Executive Advisor, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd
Arun Jaura Dilip Chenoy, Independent Advisor – Start-ups, Social Enterprises, CSR
Dr Ravi Damodaran, President – Technology & Strategy,
Varroc Engineering
Sajid Mubashir, Scientist G, DHI-DST Technology Platform for Electric
OTHERS Mobility, Govt of India

Vectoring Functionality Avik Chattopadhyay, Co-founder & Partner, Expereal

Theo Gassmann, Dirk Gueth, Jan Haupt 01 Editorial

03 Imprint For Editorial Contribution, write to the Editor-in-Chief at editor@autotechreview.com
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For Subscription orders and reader registrations, please visit www.autotechreview.com
TECHNOLOGY Or, contact Manager – Events at subscriptions@autotechreview.com

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I N T E R A C T I O N TA L MANUFACTURING S O L U T I O N S , GREAVES COTTON
TAL | AFFORDABLE ROBOTICS FOR TIER 1, TIER 2 SUPPLIERS
Pune-based TAL Manufacturing Solutions is focu-
sing on carving out a strong presence in robotics
& automation for the automotive industry. Auto
Tech Review caught up with Amit Bhingurde,
COO, TAL Manufacturing Solutions to know more
about the company’s solutions as well as the
latest trends in robotics & automation in India.
INNOVATIONS IN ROBOTICS
TAL Manufacturing Solutions provides a large
chunk of its robotic solutions for the automotive
industry. Over the years, the Indian robotics
market has witnessed considerable innovations,
but it still has a long way to go in terms of robot
deployment. Compared to India’s deployment of
2,000-3,000 robots annually, China deploys
90,000 robots per year, apprised Bhingurde. On
the global front, Germany and US boasts of over
90 % automation among automotive OEMs. Bhin-
gurde said automation is coming up in a big way
in India, as the likes of Tata, Mahindra, Volkswa-
gen and Daimler are leveraging it.
The company focusses on addressing three
‘D’s through its Brabo robot – dirty, dull and dan-
gerous tasks. Robots perform jobs like handling,
pick & place, machine tending, press tending,
vision systems, gluing as well as certain camera-
based applications. TAL wants to add a fourth D –
difficult tasks – hitherto performed by operators.
PREFERENCE FOR SMALLER ROBOTS
The robotic market in India is witnessing a
growing preference for smaller robots and control-
lers. This is in stark contrast to earlier times,
when big robots and controllers were the order of
the day. Bhingurde said deploying smaller robots
makes sense because it offers flexibility and can
be easily carried anywhere. The Bravo robot can
be installed in just a few hours and is also easy to
start, commission and programme. Robots also do
not have ‘baggage’ a human workforce carries. A
robot works in all three shifts and does not need
holidays or biological breaks. The use of robots
ensures increased productivity, quality and lesser
cost of ownership, he pointed out.
The Indian robotics market has also under-
gone a significant mindset change. The sheer
mention of robots used to trigger a deep-rooted
apprehension among people that it would kill jobs
4 www.autotechreview.com
of humans. But such a line of thin-
king is steadily fading away giving
rise to greater awareness that robots
can actually increase jobs, said
Bhingurde. He added that the elimi-
nation of human jobs does not arise
because there will always be a re-
quirement for people to manufacture
different kinds of robots, robotic
components, electronics, mechatro-
nics, computer, software as well as
programming of robots.
Robotics is gaining increased ac-
ceptance owing to the enhanced edu-
cation level of the new generation.
Bhingurde said automation is a
must in the manufacturing lines.
There is a strong need for automati-
on to not only ensure timely availabi-
lity of incoming parts, but also
because they are second to none. At
times, errors on the part of Tier 1
and Tier 2 suppliers have impacted
OEMs. Suppliers are always under
pressure to offer timely delivery and
quality, else OEMs will go to some
other supplier, Bhingurde explained.
TAL’s robots are no-frill robots.
They are stepper-driven hybrid
motors that run on low speed and
are cost-effective. The company has consciously components and ensuring timely delivery to OEMs
made these robots affordable for Tier 1 and Tier 2 is crucial, Bhingurde puts his perspective.
suppliers, Bhingurde said. Robots of varying sizes are deployed across in-
TAL is also catering to the education sector dustries globally. Automotive OEMs typically use
with another robot, Robowhiz. The company pro- robots with a payload of 200-300 kg. TAL’s robots
vides students with industrial robots that are relatively lightweight, with a payload of up to
provide them substantial exposure and trains 10 kg. Bhingurde reasoned that a 10 kg payload
them to be industry-ready. TAL supplies such robot for Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers is more than
robots to colleges, universities and institutes, adequate since it deals with small components.
having standard applications that are applica-
ble for the industry like pick and place, vision, ROUND-UP
etc, Bhingurde said.
The automotive industry is looking to optimise TAL will soon introduce a welding robot that will
Industry 4.0 and Bhingurde said the only way to cater to the dangerous area. This welding robot is
achieve Industry 4.0 success is by strengthening currently in testing phase and will be unveiled in
the roots of Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. Indus- a few months. The company is bullish about con-
try.4.0 cannot be a success if the suppliers cannot solidating its market presence with the roll-out of
support OEMs. OEMs may put in place a sophisti- this welding robot, the TAL COO signed off.
cated line but if they don’t get supply from sub-
suppliers or vendors the Industry 4.0 implementa-
tion would be a failure. Churning out top quality TEXT: Suhrid Barua
 GREAVES COTTON | AIMING TO REINVENT LAST MILE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS & SERVICES
Greaves Cotton Limited, the country’s leading en-
gineering solutions company, has developed a
strategy to reinvent the last mile mobility solu-
tions and services space through a range of new
product and service introductions that are future
ready. The 160-year-old company has long been a
diesel/ petrol player, but the new thought is to
look at Greaves as a fuel-agnostic powertrain so-
lutions and services company.
Importantly, the company has taken a multi-
domain approach that addresses future needs for
internal combustion engines, as well as electric
vehicles across OEMs and the aftermarket. At the
Auto Expo in February 2018, we spoke to Nagesh
Basavanhalli, MD &CEO, Greaves Cotton to get
his perspectives on the company’s drive forward.
NEW LAUNCHES, PARTNERSHIPS
The company has introduced two new powertrain
solutions that claim to offer class-leading fuel ef-
ficiency and reduced emissions, addressing the
growing alternate fuel segment and the emerging
electric vehicle segment. BS VI-ready variants of
Greaves’ diesel and CNG powertrains, which it
currently supplies to over 30 OEMs in the three-
and micro four-wheeler segments, were displayed,
along with an all-new family of multi-cylinder tur-
bo-charged intercooled engines, which too are BS
VI-compliant.
As a matter of fact, eight out of 10 diesel
engines in the Indian three-wheeler space run on
Greaves engines. The future though will have
Greaves offering – along with its partners –
technology solutions that will be BS VI ready for
diesel, petrol and CNG, and also hybrids and
EVs. In the diesel plus petrol plus CNG domain,
Greaves today is offering a particular value pro-
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
position in terms of total cost of ownership and
as Basavanhalli said, the company’s intent is to
do that while meeting higher emission norms or
making sure that it is being responsible in terms
of using this technology.
The objective is to make sure that the engines
have the right balance of power, performance and
fuel economy. The company showcased a 110 cc
two-wheeler engine as well as a 200+ cc engine for
three-wheelers. “Both of those can give upwards of
30 % fuel efficiency improvement, while meeting or
exceeding BS VI norms and delivering the same
amount of power and performance. So it’s triangu-
lating those three and making sure that the right
optimisation for the end consumer is done, while
offering an uninterrupted journey,” said Basavan-
halli. He was essentially referring to the “revolutio-
nary” linear twin piston technology that Greaves
has introduced for the first time in India in partner-
ship with Pinnacle Engines, USA. This engine is
likely to help the company foray into the CNG/Petrol
space with strong value proposition of low total
cost of ownership.
The company has also developed high perfor-
mance electric powertrains, powered by an ultra-
light compact high output induction motor develo-
ped by Altigreen Propulsion Labs. This motor is
controlled by a compact high performance custom
designed motor controller working with lithium-
ion batteries. Also displayed at the Greaves stall
was a futuristic 3W EV concept ‘E3’ that combines
a well styled light weight body with advantages of
the Greaves Altigreen drive train technology.
Greaves also collaborated with the MG Group to
develop the lightweight body of the E3, using ad-
vanced composites. This complements Greaves’
EV powertrain that is made up of ultra-light
battery and less moving parts.
As a strategy, Greaves is forging partnerships
in its pursuit of addressing the need of cleaner
energy products. The company is looking at the
ecosystem, looking for like-minded partners, who
can come together to keep pollution levels under
control. “Our objective is to bring in technology
keeping the end consumer, value proposition and
problems in mind,” Basavanhalli said.
SERVICE BUSINESS
With a strategic vision for the future, Greaves has
also launched Greaves Care – a one-stop solution
for the last mile vehicle owner, be it a three-, four-
and potentially even a two-wheeler. In its first
phase, Greaves has launched this as a nation-wi-
de campaign for spares and services, offering all
Greaves branded, Greaves certified spare parts,
along with 9,000 Greaves certified and trained
mechanics. In an electromobility future, this could
also mean e-charging and battery swapping ser-
vices, we were told.
ROUND-UP
Results of the last quarter indicate a double
digit top- and bottom-line growth for the
company. Basavanhalli is clearly excited, and
with some of Greaves’ strategic focus areas
starting to grow across different domains, the
future certainly looks good for one of India’s
leading engineering companies.
TEXT: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah
PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay
5
I N T E R A C T I O N S I G M A FREUDENBERG NOK, NETRADYNE
SIGMA FREUDENBERG NOK | ADVANCED SEALING SOLUTIONS FOR FUTURE MOBILITY
Effective sealing solutions go a long way in redu-
cing vehicle weight as well as providing lower
NVH levels. Freudenberg and NoK are global
sealing technology leaders for both the PV and CV
segments. At the global level, the company has
been working on technologies that broaden the
potential for contributing towards sustainable
mobility of today and tomorrow. Auto Tech Review
met up with Sanjib Das, CEO, Sigma Freudenberg
NoK Pvt Ltd, to understand the latest trends in
sealing technology from Freudenberg and the way
ahead for future mobility requirements.
OPTIMISING THE IC ENGINE
Today, highly efficient, supercharged engines
with fewer cylinders, smaller displacements, and
more intelligent management systems are repla-
cing traditional large-volume engines. However,
downsizing and lightweight construction techno-
logies also pose new challenges. Das said that
although variable valve trains, integrated tur-
bochargers or minimised installation space can
increase efficiency, they also change the require-
ment of the task and Freudenberg is well equip-
ped to handle these changes.
Freudenberg has been substituting metal with
plastic that has resulted in around 50 % weight
savings. Plastic components also offer huge poten-
tial for the integration of additional functions or as-
semblies and provide engineers more design
freedom than traditional metal components. The
company utilises two or multi-component injection
moulding with products made of thermoplastics to
take maximum advantage of weight savings.
Assembly or installation steps are integrated
6 www.autotechreview.com
into the highly automated production process
that offers the possibility of an automatic in-
spection of quality and functional features on all
its components. Thus, production and quality in-
spections are combined into a single process
without any cycle loss.
LESS TECHNOLOGY
There is a strong need for reducing friction
between parts due to strict emission norms
coming in. Freudenberg has come up with LESS
(Low Emission Sealing Solution) technology that
has already been deployed in the European and
US markets. The company now plans to deploy
this technology in the Indian market since it has
matured enough to absorb such products.
Freudenberg engineers combine product inno-
vations focused on reducing friction, emissions, in-
stallation spaces and weights. Sealing solutions for
engines, transmissions, and alternative powert-
rains benefit from this technique. In terms of tech-
nology, friction-minimised seals pave the way for
the automobile of tomorrow. Less friction means
less fuel consumption and lower emissions. With
LESS, Freudenberg intends to come closer to the
idea of creating a frictionless seal, Das said.
LESS combines high efficiency for more power
with less energy consumption and ensures
reduced emissions. This technology has been de-
signed to create a sustainable future for mobility.
Aiding the cause of efficiency is weight reduction,
which is becoming increasingly important, espe-
cially with metal components being substituted by
plastics components. Das said that lightweight
construction opens up new design opportunities
and ensures the integration of various functions
in a single component. In this regard, Freuden-
berg reaps the advantages of two and multi-com-
ponent injection moulding.
Another key element of LESS is the concept of
downsizing, which allows small volume engines
with turbo power to create a bigger impact. Mini-
mised installation spaces require new sealing
technology solutions, in terms of heat and pressu-
re resistance. The integration of additional func-
tions into a sealing component creates room for
optimisations, Das stated.
Material requirements are extremely crucial
for an effective sealing experience. Constant inno-
vations are happening in this domain and the
company has a separate wing within the R&D di-
visions of both Freudenberg and NoK that is conti-
nuously working on new material evolution. The
automotive market is moving towards lower fricti-
on levels and lower temperatures at multiple
contact points, Das pointed out.
The need for lower friction between automotive
parts has entailed the evolution of materials from
cast iron to aluminium, and the current trend is
towards plastic composites due to their weight red-
uction characteristics. There were initial apprehen-
sions regarding the thermal potential of plastics,
but with advanced material development in place,
plastic-based components are already being tested
for European markets and Freudenberg expects
these products to hit the Indian market soon.
E-MOBILITY
With the development of electric mobility, new ap-
plications are created for elastomer seals in bat-
teries. Flat flange seals have turned out to be
highly effective and secure for sealing battery
covers. These seals are available in large dimen-
sions and protect the entire battery unit from
harmful environmental influences. Smaller press-
in-place seals can be used in battery systems and
seal components such as temperature control
systems that optimise the battery’s performance.
Housings with seals integrated into the cover
in Freudenberg’s structural design serve a greater
purpose than static sealing. These housings also
reduce dynamic stresses and provide tolerance
compensation, even during large temperature
fluctuations. A component with a permanent in-
jection-moulded seal is more suitable for automa-
tic final assembly, thereby yielding additional effi-
ciency, Das said.
Freudenberg has been responsible for creating
precision sealing solutions for cell stacks. The
fuel-cell car has been touted as an alternative to
the battery-powered car for zero-emission vehi-
cles. And to generate energy safely and efficiently,
precise sealing solutions are needed in fuel-cell
stacks. The increasing selection of vehicle appli-
cations demands robust materials, perfect design,
and quality-assured manufacturing to meet the
daily use requirements.
TEXT: Anwesh Koley
 NETRADYNE | DEEP LEARNING SOLUTIONS FOR EFFECTIVE FLEET MANAGEMENT
Shared mobility is increasingly gaining prominence
world over. Such a scenario necessitates an effici-
ent management of various vehicle fleets for provi-
ding a systematic solution for end-customers.
Among the various fleet management solutions
offered, an important focus area is leveraging tech-
nologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deep
Learning that can pave the way for an efficient de-
ployment of vehicles.
An efficient fleet management can bring in
higher profitability for companies that own large
vehicle fleets. Netradyne offers vision-based Deep
Learning solutions for vehicle fleets in monitoring
or alerting drivers and fleet managers to facilitate
best and safe utilisation of vehicles and drivers.
Auto Tech Review caught up with Teja Gudena, Vice
President, Engineering – Devices, Netradyne, to
know more about its flagship product platform –
Driveri, back-end technologies and future mobility
solutions that can be deployed in fleets.
BACKGROUND
Netradyne was established in 2015 by two former
Qualcomm employees, with an intent to build AI
and Deep Learning-based products for smart sur-
veillance or automotive applications. Market re-
search revealed that the auto industry has a big
business use case for the development of vision-
based products. Netradyne set up technology inno-
vation centres in California and Bengaluru, with
teams working towards creating an AI platform to
disrupt commercial vehicles and driver analytics.
Gudena said Netradyne typically has three
types of customers -transportation fleets, ride
share fleets and OEMs. Transportation fleets are
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
further divided into commercial and corporate
fleets, wherein the latter refers to fleets owned by
companies for the transportation of their own in-
ventories. The company is working with commer-
cial transportation fleets in the US and is conduc-
ting advanced trials with all types of Indian cu-
stomers, he added.
DRIVERI
Driveri is built on an NVIDIA Tegra X1 platform. It
features four cameras with one each for inward and
outward recording and two for side-angle view re-
cording. It is a fully-connected device over LTE, and
provides fleet managers with information that
helps them analyse and anticipate different scena-
rios drivers might face. This also helps fleet mana-
gers not just in rewarding drivers but also providing
proper guidance and coaching to them.
Netradyne brings in a strong differentiation via
Driveri in the sense that videos captured by the
front and inward-facing cameras are processed on
the device itself in real-time, said Gudena. This is
the first device that can process videos from two
cameras (inward and outward-facing) at the same
time on the device itself, he noted. Cameras usually
record and store videos in their memory, or conse-
quently upload these videos on cloud storage. In
both cases, there are limitations that the footage
can be viewed or used for analysis only after an ac-
cident or incident has occurred.
In terms of real-time processing, the device has
all vision-based Deep Learning capabilities to
process the video and infer any specific driver be-
haviour use cases, he explained. For example, the
inward-facing camera can detect the movements
and gestures of a driver that make the system con-
clude that the driver is sleepy. This information is
instantly uploaded to the cloud and the fleet
manager is alerted about the same so that correc-
tive measures can be promptly initiated.
Gudena said that the complete Deep Learning
IP for the Driveri platform is developed in-house.
The platform comprises three components – device
& software; deep learning algorithms and cloud
back-end. These components are completely deve-
loped by Netradyne, save for the device manufactu-
ring that is carried out with its manufacturing part-
ners in Gurgaon and China.
Driveri is currently installed in the US as a
passive feature, wherein no information is relayed
to the driver but transferred directly to the fleet
manager. This is because drivers are more mature
and sensitive to being monitored, explained
Gudena. However, the company is conducting
trials with Indian customers, who have put in
request for alerts in the form of audio feedback to
the driver in case of situations like drowsiness or
violations. The platform enables fleet managers to
evaluate the driving behaviour and assign scores
to each driver, called Green Zone Score. In India,
Netradyne has received more demands for inward-
facing camera for fleets with real-time alert to the
driver, he added.
The Driveri device also has the capability to
connect to the CAN BUS, which enables the reading
of various details of engine data and process such
data for further analysis. This would provide infor-
mation on the optimum method of driving to ensure
better performance and efficiency as well as help in
predictive maintenance that leads to an efficient
utilisation of fleet vehicles.
In terms of ADAS, while there are a number of
use cases, a few are more relevant to India, as in
the case of collision warning, Gudena said. There is
the capability of sending a possible upcoming colli-
sion alert to the driver. He added that the next level
of ADAS requirement from Netradyne’s OEM enga-
gements is in sending out a collision warning on to
the vehicle itself, for it to take corrective action.
These active systems would reduce accidents and
ensure safer forms of mobility.
CONCLUSION
Large Tier 1 firms are investing in safety and auto-
nomous driving technologies, providing Netradyne a
favourable proposition. There is a good possibility
to collaborate with such companies, where Netrady-
ne complements its existing set of core delivera-
bles, added Gudena.
TEXT: Naveen Arul
7
I N T E R A C T I O N J D POWER
JD POWER | FOCUSING ON ADDRESSING FUTURE MOBILITY CONCERNS
Buying needs in automotive space are influenced
by a multitude of factors that go beyond product
development. JD Power has been successfully con-
ducting market research on vehicles across seg-
ments and has been providing consulting services
for better assessment of the automotive sector.
Auto Tech Review recently caught up with Kaustav
Roy, Regional Director – Two wheelers and Auto-
motive Industries; Shantanu Majumdar, Regional
Director – Four wheelers; and Jacob George, Vice
President & GM – Asia Pacific and Darren Slind,
Vice President – South Asia, ASEAN and Oceania
(L-R), to discuss the current trends in the domestic
and global automotive segments as well as the
road ahead for futuristic technology.
CURRENT SAFETY PARAMETERS
Given the on-road fatalities witnessed in contem-
porary times be it two-wheelers, four-wheelers and
commercial vehicles, safety has emerged as a big
concern. Many OEMs are focusing on improving the
road and driving conditions. A case in point is the
implementation of ABS and the mandate for at
least driver side airbags becoming a standard
across all variants. These safety features were
earlier found on high-end vehicles or in top-end va-
riants of most cars. Similarly ABS is being adopted
in a big way for two-wheelers.
However, at the global level, any adoption of
safety norms is governed by policy regulations.
“India is moving towards better safety regulations
with the government keen to put in place more
stringent vehicle safety norms in the coming years.
OEMs are also geared up to introduce these fea-
tures because globally such norms are already in
place and most vehicle platforms today allow easy
integration of additional features,” said Roy.
8 www.autotechreview.com
This will not be a big leap of faith for vehicle
manufacturers, but the challenge lies in keeping a
tight rein on incremental costs. The available infra-
structure and driving discipline need to be in line
with the safety features introduced. For example, in
a collision avoiding system, the technology must be
calibrated as per Indian road conditions, or else the
system will beep continuously given the congested
driving conditions.
TWO-WHEELER TRENDS
A large chunk of the two-wheeler population still
primarily uses vehicles for commuting, given the
dismal state of public transport in semi-urban and
rural areas. Of course, the scenario is different for
the Tier 1 or metro cities in India, but then it only
represents a miniscule proportion of the total com-
muter population. “There is a growing trend among
customers to try out more stylish, powerful and
technology-equipped motorcycles. This has resulted
in faster adoption of innovative features by OEMs,
as the increase in purchasing power warrants such
a move,” said Majumdar.
The other trend is international bike makers like
Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Ducati and Kawasaki fo-
raying into the domestic market. These products
require a certain understanding of riding tech-
niques, and a degree of maturity in handling. The
fact that these companies are seeing an increase
in their sales clearly indicates that the Indian two-
wheeler is gradually moving towards the higher end
of the biking spectrum. Concepts such as leisure
riding, touring and adventure riding are catching
up across age groups, thus opening up newer
avenues for OEMs.
The automotive industry has fared well, in
terms of quality parameters. The problems faced by
consumers regarding their vehicles have come
down over the last three years. Indian manufactu-
rers along with global players operating here, have
the potential to manufacture world-class products
and have been doing so for quite a while now. The
increasing number of exports is a testimony to this,
Roy said.
CHANGING CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS
The perception of customers has positively
changed over the years. Young buyers today are
more sensitive towards their needs and are hence
more demanding when it comes to product quality
and the features offered. This also has to do with
improving product quality across segments over a
period of time and given the high aspirational
value attached to two-wheelers, it is natural for
customers to demand a certain level of quality
from their purchase.
Product perception has improved, but Roy men-
tioned that it is difficult to completely negate cu-
stomer issues. A two or four-wheeler is a machine
and may face breakdowns and failures occasional-
ly. However, with OEMs becoming more sensitive
towards the needs and demands of young buyers,
these problems and quality issues will come down
and plateau off significantly in the years to come.
Buyers today are more critical towards a
product purchased and this results in a constant
demand for better quality. Vehicle manufacturers
have been constantly collecting and processing
data from existing and prospective buyers and le-
veraging it to improve their backend activities, in
terms of product design and engineering. This has
ensured higher levels of manufacturing prowess,
thereby inching closer towards zero-error products.
 PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT AREAS
Fuel efficiency today remains the most important
requirement across vehicle segments. OEMs have
conducted a significant amount of R&D over the
years to improve efficiency and the results have
been quite successful. Vehicle dependability is an
important part of product development today, but
the focus has gradually shifted towards providing
enhanced initial quality.
The next important aspect of performance en-
hancement comes from an improved driving/
riding experience that includes seamless braking
and a smoother transmission. For a two-wheeler
user, these two factors play an important role in
ensuring sustained satisfaction. Going forward,
two-wheeler manufacturing will have a sustained
focus on braking and transmission duties that
will result in the roll-out of more user-friendly pro-
ducts, said Majumdar.
ELECTRO MOBILITY IN INDIA
The advent of EVs across markets has started in a
big way and given the energy bills India faced
today, e-vehicles seem to be a tailor-made soluti-
on to most of our mobility needs. However, OEMs
today still need more clarity regarding the exact
timeframe when the government wants complete
electrification and the methodology that needs to
be followed to electrify the entire ecosystem. This
will not only enable OEMs to streamline their
future investments, but also provide direction to
their R&D initiatives.
The apprehensions among customers today re-
garding the viability of EVs needs to be addressed
by the policymakers or through a public-private ini-
tiative that answers all queries arising during the
transition phase. Slind said that while OEMs can
take up this task, it is not their core competency.
Many manufacturers have indigenously taken up
awareness programmes around the world, but the
initial thrust must come from the government. Once
this clarity is attained, all customer concerns will
be taken care of by the OEMs.
In terms of domestic developments, various
manufacturers are taking different paths towards
the final e-mobility goal. While OEMs continue to
invest in the ICE technology, parallel work is being
carried out in the development of hybrid, mild-hy-
brid and e-vehicles. In the Indian context, the tran-
sition from ICE vehicles to fully EVs will not happen
immediately. “We might witness a transition from
ICE to a mild-hybrid, then to a plug-in hybrid,
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
before going the all-electric way, mentioned George.
However, the transition must happen in tandem
with the needs and aspirations of all stakeholders.
Currently, 50 % of automotive component revenues
come from engine and transmission parts. Electrifi-
cation will require OEMs to recalibrate their produc-
tion strategy. Equally important is how OEMs are
able to collaborate with the government to create
an ecosystem that eases the journey towards e-mo-
bility. The more closely all stakeholders work
towards this end, faster will be the adoption.
FUTURE TRENDS
Collaboration would hold the key towards future
mobility development. With the advent of EVs, the
product development process will become faster.
The absence of engine and transmission units
would mean less moving parts, thereby increasing
production time. Ride sharing is likely to go up,
with customers accepting vehicles as a mode of
transport, rather than a priced possession.
With major changes likely to be witnessed in
the future mobility scenario, data management will
gain high priority in the entire value chain. This will
witness insurance companies assuming a more im-
portant role in providing customised insurance
cover based on the driving/riding patterns of the
vehicle owner. Roy said that smartphones will have
a huge role to play during this transition phase as
they have sensors to monitor details pertaining to a
person’s driving pattern. This data can be success-
fully used by insurance companies.
PARADIGM SHIFT
Electrification seems to have taken off in a big way
in China over the last two years with over four lakh
units sold, both in the form of EVs and plug-in
hybrids. This has been due to constant government
incentives promoting electric mobility and discou-
raging the purchase of ICE vehicles. These modules
will eventually make their way to other markets and
the electrification trend will grow faster.
Autonomous driving is the farthest, in terms of
technology. The stepping stones towards this tech-
nology have already been laid, with ADAS, smart
cruise technology and automatic braking, among
many others. The changes being witnessed today
are faster than any technology adoption that took
place a couple of decades ago, said George.
Despite so much happening in the EV space
globally, advancements continue in the ICE domain.
The potential for IC engines will extend for a much
longer period due to intense pressure across the
value chain to innovate or die. This has resulted in
conventional powertrain units getting a boost, in
terms of technology. The simultaneous surge in the
EV technology has also prompted existing OEMs to
not only work on fully electrified vehicles, but also
invest in mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The
current trends indicate that the new technologies
are compelling the older technologies to get better.
Government subsidies often require batteries to
be manufactured locally. However, this might not be
a viable proposition for all countries and over the
years, the battery technology might be sub-leased
across the globe. Slind mentioned that local go-
vernments need to play a bigger role in enabling
OEMs, battery makers and other members in the
value chain work coherently, by having a clear
policy mandate in place. These include clarity re-
garding the transition plan, infrastructure develop-
ment, localised production and subsidies.
Range anxiety has often been considered the
most important deterrent for customers opting for
EVs. This coupled with charger/ adapter compati-
bility, should be treated with high priority by the
government, if it intends to have a quicker e-mo-
bility setup in place. Standardised parameters
need to be set by the government and the OEMs
will then set their own production capacities to
follow the e-mobility programme.
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
According the Initial Quality Study (IQS) con-
ducted by JD Power, customers around two
decades ago complained mostly of manufacturing
defects related to the quality of parts used in a
vehicle. Buying patterns today are being driven
mostly by factors such as fuel economy, quality of
air-conditioning, braking performance and similar
other performance-related features. Hence, custo-
mer concerns have shifted to design issues rather
than product malfunctioning ones.
The aforementioned trends indicate that ma-
nufacturing, distribution and logistics are getting
better. However, design issues are more difficult
to address, as they cannot be rectified at the
dealers’ end. The only way to solve this problem is
to convey the voice of the customer to the OEM
and if the problem is a common one, corrective
action can be taken in the subsequent batches of
vehicles produced.
TEXT: Anwesh Koley
9
I N T E R A C T I O N M A X X I S TYRES
MAXXIS TYRES | BETTING BIG ON INDIA TO FUEL GLOBAL GROWTH
Taiwanese tyre manufacturer Maxxis claims to be
the largest two-wheeler tyre manufacturer and
the ninth largest tyre company in the world (in
terms of units sold). The company, which ope-
rates 21 manufacturing plants and five R&D
centres globally, recently inaugurated its newest
manufacturing facility at Sanand, Gujarat.
On the sidelines of the plant inauguration
function, Auto Tech Review met up with Jia-Ciao
Liou (Gary), Commercial Head, Maxxis Rubber
India Pvt Ltd to understand the company’s focus
areas, future tyre technologies and roadmap in
India. The company’s global product portfolio in-
cludes tyres for passenger cars, two-wheelers,
light trucks, trucks, buses, ATVs, and agricultu-
ral & industrial vehicles.
SANAND PLANT
The company had commenced the first phase
of production at its Sanand plant in August
2017. Maxxis has been selected as the original
equipment tyre supplier for the largest-selling
10
two-wheeler in the country – Honda Activa – and
has been supplying tyres for the scooter since
2015. The Sanand plant currently manufactures
tyres locally for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter
India (HMSI), among other OEMs as well as for
the aftermarket. The plant features flexible
manufacturing lines that have the capability to
make tyres of varying sizes from 10 to 19 inch,
Gary said.
The plant currently has a workforce of about
600 and is equipped to manufacture 20,000
tyres and 40,000 tubes per day in the initial
phase. Maxxis has earmarked a total investment
of over $ 400 mn (about ` 2,640 cr) in setting up
this plant that is spread over an area of 106
acre. The Sanand facility is currently only ma-
nufacturing two-wheeler tyres and tubes, and
the company has currently pumped in about $
320 mn of the total investment. Maxxis is targe-
ting a market share of 15 % of India’s two-
wheeler tyre market within a timeframe of five
years, Gary noted.
The production capacity of the Sanand plant
will grow to a total of 60,000 two-wheeler tyres
per day over the next two phases of expansion,
without any change in the tube production capa-
city. Maxxis India has also drawn up plans to
start manufacturing four-wheeler tyres once it
concludes the third and final phase of the plant
expansion by 2021. The company expects to
build a production capacity of 12,000 four-whee-
ler tyres per day at the plant.
Maxxis’ Sanand plant currently imports 98 %
of its raw materials for production. The company
also supplies tyres to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd,
Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors and Jeep,
which are all imported at present. The company
is also looking at expanding its product portfolio
from Sanand to South Asia, and will further
expand to Africa and Middle East countries in
the coming years.
The plant also carries out development work
for the customisation of products for the dome-
stic market. While this does not include hard-
core R&D for new tyres, it will mostly include
designing products from its existing portfolio
for various applications in the local context.
Maxxis has lined up plans to turn the Sanand
facility into a production hub, for which it will
look at increasing its R&D functions in future,
Gary stated.
TYRE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
The company is focusing on technologies that will
help reduce the rolling resistance of tyres, which
increases fuel efficiency and enhances perfor-
mance, Gary said. Maxxis is focusing on iden-
tifying and using appropriate rubber compounds.
The company is also developing tyres that use
multiple compounds, with each tyre focusing on
providing a different type of result. These com-
pounds vary to provide features such as low
rolling resistance as well as improved grip.
The company claims to have the requisite
knowledge to produce tyres for electric vehicles. In
fact, Maxxis has products for EVs in its global
portfolio, and can introduce its technology to the
market quickly when needed, Gary added.
FUTURE ROADMAP
Maxxis is focusing on identifying the right pro-
ducts for the Indian market – it is closely working
with OEMs on their new products. The company is
carrying out rigorous testing thorough its riders
across all terrains, to make products suitable for
the entire market, Gary noted.
Maxxis’ access to a number of global OEMs
across various international markets opens up a
lot of doors that help it foray into newer geogra-
phies, Gary explained. However, the tyres are re-
quired to be designed specifically for each and
every country, and must be ideal to perform in
those specific road conditions, he noted. The
company will look at its existing partnerships with
OEMs in other countries and strive to build on that
to enter into their supply chains.
Maxxis aims to emerge as one of the top five
global tyre manufacturers by 2026; for which it
expects the Indian market to play a vital role.
Since India is the fastest growing two-wheeler
market, it would additionally help the company
achieve its target, Gary said. The company’s
Sanand plant, which is the western-most manuf-
acturing facility for Maxxis Global, would help in-
crease the supply of products to more western
markets, thereby enabling it to achieve its global
growth targets, Gary concluded.
TEXT: Naveen Arul
www.autotechreview.com
I N T E R A C T I O N B O R G WA R N E R
BORGWARNER | MULTI-DOMAIN APPROACH TO A CLEAN, EFFICIENT FUTURE
The automotive industry in general is faced with
growing challenges of meeting future emission,
efficiency and safety norms, while at the same
time ensuring product and part performances are
not compromised. The talk around electromobility
is getting stronger by the day, but manufacturers
realise it’s not the only solution available for
future mobility. One such company is BorgWarner,
the global product leader in clean and efficient
technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and
electric vehicles.
No matter which propulsion system is used,
BorgWarner is developing an extensive range of
products for clean and efficient vehicles of the
future. The company recognises the fact that the
discussion today has moved from being internal
combustion-centric to one that involves all possi-
ble options. Even though governments are
pushing the electromobility agenda powerfully,
BorgWarner is of the belief that the next solution
ideally should be hybrids. Having said that,
Sudhir Kumar Chawla, Managing Director, Borg-
Warner Emissions Systems India (L) said the
company is prepared to address any kind of tran-
sition that the industry makes – IC to electric, or
through the hybridisation mode.
Jean-Francois Savajols, Vice President
Sales, Emissions & Thermal Systems, Borg-
Warner (C) harped on the need to build an ecosy-
stem approach. It is easier to engage with custo-
mers when there is absolute clarity on the direc-
tion a market wants to take. He was referring to
India’s situation at the moment, where there is a
massive push towards going all-electric. Borg-
Warner, he said, is taking more of an ecosystem
view in offering solutions to the market.
While it is clear that electromobility is being
preferred and pushed for globally, BorgWarner is
not moving away from its focus on IC engines. The
company has developed solutions that have signi-
ficantly improved efficiency and performance in IC
engines, said Savajols.
WIDE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
At the expo, the company put on display a wide
variety of products and solutions, across the
three focussed domains of combustion, hybrids
and electric. In the combustion area, a critical
highlight was the variable cam timing (VCT)
technologies, which included its patented cam
12
torque actuated (CTA) phasers with mid-position
lock and integrated centre bolt. This advanced
variable cam timing technology enables optimi-
sed valve timing control over a broad range of
engine speeds, said a company release. Chawla
said the company has received very good feed-
back on the VCT.
Also on showcase was BorgWarner’s mild hy-
bridisation expertise with the eBooster electrically
driven compressor and 48 V eFan. The eBooster
essentially delivers boost on demand until the tur-
bocharger takes over, improving boost at low
engine speeds and nearly eliminating turbo lag.
It’s a compact unit that can be adapted to a wide
range of hybrid or combustion applications. The
eFan on the other hand, offers superior thermal
management by delivering powerful and highly ef-
ficient airflow systems for passenger, commercial
vehicle and off-highway vehicles.
Last year, the company launched its first inte-
grated electric drive module (eDM) for EVs. This
solution combined BorgWarner’s high voltage
hairpin (HVH) electric motor with its eGearDrive
transmission in a single module. This low weight
solution delivers high efficiency, and is easy to
install. BorgWarner’s expertise in electric motors
was acquired through its acquisition of Remy In-
ternational in 2015. The company also displayed a
high voltage air heater, specifically for hybrids
and EVs. The company has developed the high-
voltage positive temperature coefficient (PTC)
cabin heater as a waste heat independent heating
solution.
A core focus area for the company is the com-
mercial vehicle sector. It is supporting CV manuf-
acturers in meeting current and future emissions
regulations through a wide range of technology and
products. A series of modular compact floating core
EGR coolers as well as the latest generation of the
electronically actuated Visctronic fan drive were
two critical showcases at the Auto Expo.
Responding to a question on availability of
these solutions in the Indian market, Chawla said
most of the products have been tested out in
India, barring the waste heat recovery system,
which is not used in India currently. “As people
are moving from diesel to gasoline, I hope they‘ll
be looking for efficiency with gasoline as well. We
are predominantly in diesel technology, but I see a
shift towards gasoline,” said Chawla.
ROUND-UP
BorgWarner is keenly watching the development of
electrification in India. It is mindful of the
government’s push, and is aligning its product
and technology strategy to address this shift. For
the more immediate challenge of meeting BS VI
emission norms, R Murali, Director & Plant
Manager, Morse Systems, BorgWarner Morse
Systems India (R) expected some new technolo-
gies to be introduced which may have already
been implemented in some other region.
Overall, the company is very optimistic about
India and is keenly observing the developments in
the market. It is ready to make fresh investments
to address the future challenges of mobility.
TEXT: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah
www.autotechreview.com
MISCELLANEOUS
TOYOTA KIRLOSKAR, FICCI CONDUCT SEMINAR
ON ‘RESPONSIBLE MOBILITY’
Toyota Kirloskar Motor in association
with the Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) re-
cently conducted a seminar on “To-
wards Responsible Mobility for Safe,
Sustainable and Green Society” in New
Delhi. The seminar was inaugurated by
Minister of State for Heavy Industries
and Public Enterprises Babul Supriyo.
Delivering his inaugural address,
Supriyo stressed on the need to create a
safer and sustainable environmental
framework. He added that electrical ve-
hicles are capital-intensive initially but
their cost of operation would be signifi-
cantly lower in the long run. The event
comprised insightful sessions on broad-
er themes of Safety and Environment,
to cement India’s commitment towards
sustainable mobility needs.
Shekhar Viswanath, Chairman,
FICCI Electric Vehicle Committee &
Vice Chairman & Whole-time Director,
Toyoto Kirloskar Motor, said the global
automotive industry, including India, is
passing through unprecedented chang-
es and is facing challenges in shifting
to alternate energy sources away from
fossil oil. The need of the hour is to
lower the adverse impact of the envi-
ronment and make vehicles that are
smarter and cleaner, he noted.
The session on safety discussed the
importance of safe vehicles, advance-
ments in safety technologies, road user
behaviour and awareness/ training pro-
grammes. The session on environment
covered issues related to emission sce-
narios, importance of establishing sus-
tainable ecosystem and need for alter-
nate fuels and technologies to achieve
fossil fuel saving.
Commenting on the road towards
sustainable mobility, Supriyo said, “As
responsible citizens, it is our duty to
create a safer & sustainable environ-
mental framework for our future gener-
ations. Forum like this brings to light
several challenges that rise with the
growth of mobility, and supports to de-
velop sustainable reforms under long-
term roadmap. I do hope today’s delib-
eration further enhances the awareness
through multi-fold dialogues in benefit
14
of our planet.”
The seminar mentioned that as a
fast-paced economy, a balanced devel-
opment should continue to be the fo-
cus of the nation. The need was felt to
carry on the mission of promoting de-
velopment as well as ensuring a green-
er and low-carbon ecosystem. The con-
centrated efforts of all related stake-
holders such as government, industries,
NGOs, research institutes, industry
bodies and academia have accelerated
several foresighted plans, where mobili-
ty solutions are also an integral part.
Missions like the Automotive Mis-
sion Plan for 2026 encompass a larger
objective of improving mobility solu-
tions while minimising the negative
consequences arising from the rapid
development of transport systems, such
as pollution, congestion, global warm-
ing, road accidents, etc. Corporates
have also aligned their objectives with
this mission and are looking beyond
profitability and putting in relentless ef-
forts on sustainable agendas.
On the long-term perspective, the
seminar mentioned that it becomes vi-
tal to learn & understand the gravity of
holistic implications by analysing the
varied xEV technologies, assessing
material resources, stakeholders’ per-
spectives, challenges related to setting
up R&D infra, evaluation of carbon in-
tensity of technology applications, dif-
ferent drive train approach for electri-
fication, investment & employment
scenarios, etc, to achieve the ultimate
outcome of reduced fuel imports &
carbon footprints.
ON THE WEB
www.autotechreview.com
European eCall Now Standardising
Vehicle Connectivity
Continental has welcomed
the decision of the Euro-
pean Commission to
deploy automatic emer-
gency call system eCall
across Europe. Connectiv-
ity is poised to become a standard in
every vehicle in Europe with
the European Commission’s
move to install eCall in all
new cars starting April 2018.
Volkswagen Reveals Electric Concept
Race Car
Volkswagen Passenger
Cars has introduced its
latest motorsport project,
which is an all-electric
prototype racing car
named I.D. R Pikes Peak,
claimed to be the sportiest forerunner
of the I.D. family of electric
cars. The launch is a step
towards offering 20 fully-
electric vehicles by 2025.
BS-VI Fuel Will Cut Sulphur Level by
80 %: Pradhan
Petroleum & Natural Gas
Minister Dharmendra
Pradhan said that BS-VI
fuel will bring down sul-
phur by 5 times from the
current BS-IV levels effec-
tively by 80 %. Recently, the
petroleum ministry has
decided to advance the roll-
out of BS-VI fuel in Delhi
from April 2018.
Toyota, Suzuki to Jointly Supply Hybrid
Vehicles in India
Toyota Motor and Suzuki
Motor have inked a basic
agreement toward the
mutual supply of hybrid
and other vehicles
between the two
companies for the Indian
market. The vehicles will be
sold by respective subsidiar-
ies of Toyota and Suzuki.
G U E S T COMMENTARY
LOOKING TO SCALE UP YOUR BUSINESS?
FIX LOGISTICS OPERATIONS FIRST
TRUE COST OF TRANSPORTATION
The Indian road transportation sector serves as the backbone of
the Indian economy. As per the 2013 estimates, the country’s to-
tal road length was 4.7 mn km. It is the world’s second largest
road network after the US. Roads constitute the most important
mode of transportation in India carrying 60 % of the country’s
total freight traffic and 85 % of its total passenger traffic.
Transportation is an important link in the supply chain.
Freight cost is just one element of transportation cost. One has to
consider other factors such as modes of transportation, obsoles-
cence, packaging, insurance, breakages, pilferage, deterioration,
etc., which will help a firm improve its bottom-line & top-line.
A World Bank study says that the Indian logistics cost is
much higher as compared to other countries. Logistics cost in In-
dia is 6-8 % of the total value of goods, while in China this cost
is estimated to be 10 %. Congestion cost, transaction cost and
demand-supply are three factors responsible for India’s high lo-
gistics cost.
It is essential for both truck suppliers & truck users to esti-
mate their transportation costs. For truck suppliers, it is crucial to
16
BHAVEN SHAH
is Co-founder at Freightbazaar.com
know the cost of each mile their truck drive; if they do not know
the best per-mile rate then it becomes tough for them to charge
their suppliers. The same goes for truck users; they should know
whether they are paying fair rates or not for transporting their
material. Truck suppliers bear transportation costs like fuel, driv-
er’s salary, maintenance, insurance and many more. It is essen-
tial to estimate this cost in advance.
Inventory cost (the cost of holding goods in stock, including
capital, warehousing, taxation, depreciation, shrinkage, etc) af-
fects transportation cost. Inventory and transportation cost have
a direct relationship; when inventory cost increases, transporta-
tion cost also increases and this will affect the economy.
India’s trucking industry is dynamic, and the truck popula-
tion is estimated to have been growing at a rate of 7 % per an-
num, thus intensifying competition. Most truck owners do not
focus on service quality. Competition in the sector is cost-based
rather than service-based. This results in low service quality for
customers. The service quality also deteriorates when transporta-
tion cost increases.
The market rates tend to get deflated due to intense competi-
tion, thus prompting truck owners to drive and earn more. There
www.autotechreview.com
is a direct relationship between timely delivery and increase in
orders. Truck owners try to delivery more goods owing to compe-
tition and if they ensure timely delivery, there is a good chance of
bagging more orders. If they are unable to compete with their
competitors, they are out of the market. This competition may
lead to corruption as truck owners resort to overloading, over-
speeding, violating rules, etc.
INCONVENIENT TRUTH ABOUT FREIGHT COST
Every transport supervisor or coordinator is looking for a better
freight rate or a new supplier, who can reduce their freight cost.
But people higher up in the organisation such as a Supply Chain
Director, General Manager or CFO will have a different set of re-
quirements. The GM or CFO would be keen on reliability as well
as scalability of the transport division to support the company’s
growth and may also insist on transparency in billing/accounts
reconciliations. Even a Supply Chain Director would be con-
cerned with poor visibility of shipments, damages & delays, high
inventory cost and in some cases even obsolescence cost. From a
marketing perspective, poor customer service resulting from lack
of delivery visibility and missed orders affect the company’s
brand image. In addition, such grievances and cancelled orders
pose a huge opportunity cost, in terms of repeat business from
existing customers.
One must wonder, despite so much riding on having a
good, reliable and efficient transport system in place, why do
transportation supervisors only care about reduction in freight
rate? The reasons may vary from company to company; there
could be broadly two main reasons – firstly, the supply chain
function is treated by most firms as a cost centre. Consequently,
the annual performance targets of logistics and transport heads
are linked primarily to the reduction in freight cost. Secondly,
most transport operations in Indian companies are handled
without any proper system, processes or automation in place. It
is not uncommon to see junior folks without much professional
experience managing daily delivery schedules. These staffers
try to anticipate when the deliveries will be scheduled and co-
ordinate with transporters.
Proper coordination and communication with transporters for
sending material on multiple routes and tracking inter-city deliv-
eries on a daily basis are critical tasks, but are also quite time-
consuming. Transport handlers have little time or motivation to
focus on anything else besides executing the orders given to
them and are not equipped to put forth new ideas for process im-
provement, efficiency or innovation. Many firms struggle to fulfil
even basic inter-city delivery requirements given the dynamic na-
ture of customer demand patterns and disconnected production
schedules. These are the reasons logistics becomes one of the key
bottleneck preventing firms from scaling up their business.
FOCUS ON TCO
So, what steps should companies take to scale up operations,
while managing their freight cost better? Firms in India spend a
lot on logistics relative to the other countries. According to one
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
report, India spends around 14 % of its GDP on logistics as com-
pared to around 8 % spent by developed countries. However,
most firms use a single metric – reduction in freight cost – for the
transportation department for performance assessment and
budgeting. Such a singular focus leads to a paradoxical situation,
where the overall company performance suffers because custom-
er service, reliability and service quality are sacrificed at the ex-
pense of freight cost.
Companies need to set performance targets for their logistics
divisions based on the total cost of ownership (TCO), which
should include freight cost, coordination cost, communication
cost, obsolescence cost as well as opportunity cost resulting from
poor customer service. Only then firms can drive efficiency and
effectiveness to scale up their logistics operations. The compa-
ny’s reliability and service quality can also improve by changing
the way companies treat their transporters. Many transporters ex-
press dissatisfaction working with even well-known branded
companies because of delayed payment or unreasonably long de-
lays in loading & unloading. This leads to poor service from
transporters and companies have to look for different transporter
options. Companies should use a transporter relationship man-
agement system that tracks the performance of transporters,
measures a company’s own performance against commitments
made to transporters and has a certain incentive system to build
long-term loyalty with transporters. Various large companies
around the globe have been able to grow this way and achieve
scale despite facing stiff competition.
In today’s hyper competitive world, meeting or exceeding
customer expectations is the best way to stay competitive. This
can happen only if a firm manages its logistics and fulfilment
operations with reliability and consistency. Firms will have to
start using technology-based systems and processes in addition
to setting goals based on the TCO concept. When such a thing
starts happening, the benefits will be visible to everyone in the
firm, from logistics to supply chain to marketing and business
heads. By adopting such systems and processes, firms will not
only experience reduction in the TCO, but will also start seeing
increased sales due to better customer service and reputational
enhancements with repeat customers. CEOs can view logistics
not just as a cost-centre but a hidden lever to kick-start compa-
nies’ top-line growth.
(Freightbazaar is the winner of the Auto Tech Review IATIA
Automotive Tech Start-up of the Year award in 2017)
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
17
I N T E R V I E W MAXION WHEELS

“INDIAN MARKET EXPECTED TO EMBRACE

ALUMINIUM WHEELS IN A BIG WAY”
The global wheel manufacturing space is undergoing a steady shift from steel wheels to aluminium
wheels. Brazil-headquartered Maxion Wheels has been at the forefront of this shift, and in order to
cater to the Indian market demands, it had recently laid the foundation of an aluminium wheel plant
at Pune that is expected to be up and running by 2019. Auto Tech Review caught up with Pieter
Klinkers, CEO, Maxion Wheels to know about Maxion Wheels’ global presence and new focus areas.

Pieter Klinkers has been serving as the CEO of Maxion Wheels
since March 2015. Prior to the current assignment, he had served
as President for the company’s Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific
regions. Klinkers had joined as Vice President of Sales and Mar-
keting at Hayes Lemmerz in 2005, which was acquired by Iochpe-
Maxion in 2012. He also held various senior marketing and sales
positions at Michelin. Klinkers’ strategic leadership has helped
Maxion Wheels enhance its product diversity as well as expand its
geographic footprint, consistently responding to the continuously
evolving customer needs. Klinkers has positioned the company
well through strategic investments and partnerships. He instituted
a company-wide ideation process that engaged more than 10,000
employees in putting their ‘creative’ thinking cap on to solve vari-
ous customer challenges. He graduated from Maastricht Universi-
ty’s School of Business and Economics in the Netherlands with a
master’s degree in Business Administration.

18 www.autotechreview.com
Give us a brief understanding about Max- to the automotive wheel demand in India. coat and clear coat. It will produce wheels
ion Wheels’ existing business verticals? We want to leverage our global wheel- that will be 14” to 22” in diameter and 4”
Maxion Wheels basically operates three making expertise in the Indian market to 9” in width.
business segments – steel wheels for cars, and are keen to replicate the global alu-
aluminium wheels for cars and steel minium wheel success in India. Asia rep- Give us your perspective on the new inno-
wheels for trucks. All these three units resents 7-8 % of our total revenue and we vations witnessed in the global wheel
have different volumes but more or less expect that percentage to go up over the making space.
same sales turnover. Globally, demand for next few years given the expected growth Wooden wheels were used 100 years
aluminium wheels is much higher than in countries like India, China, Thailand back and 30 years back, there was a line
steel wheels; its penetration at about 68 and other parts of Asia. Maxion Wheels of thinking among people that alumin-
%. We produce 26 mn steel wheels and expects aluminium wheels to attain the ium wheels were only meant for the lux-
15 mn aluminium wheels for cars, and 9 same level of popularity witnessed glob- ury car segment and had more to do
mn steel wheels for trucks annually. Alu- ally in India by 2022. Incidentally, Iochpe- with fashion, but now you even see
minium truck wheels are a new focus Maxion also completed 100 years this small vehicles using aluminium wheels. I
area for us and we intend to grow in that year. This is a big milestone, and this pro- think the pace of aluminium wheel pene-
space as well. ject is an important step for us. tration will catch up faster in India than
Maxion Wheels serves its global OEM the rest of the world. Today, aluminium
customers from 30 locations across 15 Throw some light on the capabilities of wheels are growing faster than steel
countries as leaders in production of auto- your new aluminium wheel plant. wheels. It will not be fair on my part to
motive wheels, chassis components and Our new plant located at Khed City, Pune say what is going to happen over the
circle components. Maxion has been pre- is spread over an area of 25,000 sq m and next 10 years but I’m pretty convinced
sent in India since 1996, producing steel will start production in the third quarter that there will be more changes over the
wheels for the Indian market as well as of 2019. This plant will initially produce 2 next 10 years than what we have wit-
exporting from India. Production at our mn aluminium wheels and subsequently nessed over the last 50 years.
Pune facility started in 1996, and today ramp it up to 4 mn wheels. It will have a We believe aluminium wheels will wit-
produces 4 mn steel wheels for cars and set-up to include premium bright ness further development, as they offer
1.2 mn steel wheels for trucks annually. machined wheels from the start as well as different style options. Although they are
32 low pressure die casting machines, expensive than steel wheels, we’re certain
What’s the rationale behind creating a heat treatment, x-ray and 16 machining there will be a market for aluminium
new entity Maxion Wheels Aluminium cells. The plant will also feature one paint wheels. Customers who prefer frequent
India Pvt Ltd, when you already have a shop with a capacity for 2 mn wheels, styling changes will find aluminium
steel wheel facility in Pune? powder coat followed by wet paint base wheels a better option. For instance, if
It’s a different process. Of course, our
steel wheel facility is there in Pune but we
thought it was not fair on our part to
engage the same management of the steel
wheel facility for our new aluminium
wheel facility. It needed a different com-
pany set-up and moreover the steel wheel
facility was a joint venture with Kalyani,
while this is a wholly-owned facility. Hav-
ing a new plant location was in the best
interests of Maxion.
India is an important market for us,
and we are excited to participate in its
growth journey by strengthening our
more than 20 years of existence here with
the launch of this new plant. India pro-
duces 3.7 mn vehicles annually and we
expect that number to go up to 7 mn vehi-
cles over the next five to six years. The
current penetration of aluminium wheels
for passenger cars in India is around
25-30 % and we expect it to go up to
45-50 % over the next few years. Given
this scenario, we feel it is important for us
to expand our aluminium wheel presence
as well as add more capabilities to cater The global aluminium wheel penetration is currently around 68 % and is poised to go up going forward

autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4 19

I N T E R V I E W MAXION WHEELS
Aluminium wheel penetration will go up in future, but steel wheels will stay
you wish to change the aluminium
wheels in your car, it is five to six times
cost-effective than steel wheels because
the tooling to make steel wheels is very
expensive. When we talk of autonomous
vehicles, we might have completely new
type of wheels, maybe even cheaper.
Surely there will be more changes in the
kinds of wheels we will have over the
next 10 years.
You have talked about the steadily rising
demand for aluminium wheels; how do
you assess the future of steel wheel across
the globe?
It’s a debate that has been raging for more
than 10 years now. Steel wheels will stay
probably for shared mobility as that seg-
ment of vehicle users may not be so keen
to have a shiny aluminium wheel. Alu-
minium wheels will always remain expen-
sive than steel wheels. The raw material
and processing for both types of wheels
are different. The raw material for alumin-
ium wheel is far more expensive than a
steel wheel. Aluminium wheels should
never be compared to steel wheels as the
former will never be cheaper no matter
how competitive you are. OEMs and cus-
tomers will decide whether they want
steel or aluminium wheels. Steels wheels
have stamping and presses, while alumin-
20
ium wheels is all about casting – low
pressure die casting – it is a bit like bak-
ing cookies and is time consuming – you
need to brush, heat, machine and paint it.
With regards to future trends, I do
believe that aluminium wheel penetration
will go up but it is important to under-
stand that steel wheels are not going
away. There will always be a market for
steel wheels. Maxion has developed other
alternatives around steel wheel that will
enable us to be better positioned from the
peers’ point of view. It is important to be
in the market at the right time serving our
customers and adopt a flexible approach
in offering both options.
How has the wheel manufacturing process
evolved over the last two decades or so?
The manufacturing process today is lot
more automated; of course, it has nothing
to do with costs but with consistency and
quality. Maxion Wheels has been deploy-
ing more than 100 robots at its Chakan
plant (meant for manufacturing steel
wheels) and we intend to deploy 100
robots at our new aluminium wheel plant.
Cars are driven much faster than say
30-40 years back. Safety is a critical ele-
ment in car wheel manufacturing as it is
the case for other automotive components
and it is important that our processes are
highly automated. At all times, we want
to ensure a safe product.
Do you think the wheel market is going
beyond steel and aluminium wheels?
Maxion is looking to experiment but for
now we do not see a solution that is
cost-effective. There are carbon fibre
wheels as well as plastic wheels but not
for current applications. If the vehicle
changes then maybe other materials will
come into play.
Maxion has acquired Kelsey Hayes,
Lemmerz and Fumagalli over the
years – how have you leveraged their com-
bined expertise?
A huge amount of effort has gone in cre-
ating team work – stimulating sharing of
experiences, knowing each other and hav-
ing the openness to share experiences.
Maxion has undertaken a lot of effort over
the last six to seven years and we are see-
ing the full effect of it now. It involves a
lot of hard work in bringing the people
together, ensuring all of them are comfort-
able and creating one company culture.
How do you assess the state of steel
wheels in India along with your focus on
aluminium wheels?
There is a lot of competency in India for
steel wheels and it is only to be expected
as it has existed in India much longer. The
penetration of aluminium wheels in India
is currently around 20-25% and customer
demand for such wheels has steadily
increased when you take into the consid-
eration the fact that five years back such
wheels only had a small percentage of
penetration. We are excited to leverage
our global expertise and meet the growing
aluminium wheel demand in India. From
the Indian market perspective, I feel there
will be growth for both aluminium wheels
and steel wheels. However, I don’t see
any scope for aluminium wheels for
trucks in India.
TEXT: Suhrid Barua
PHOTO: Maxion Wheels
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
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TECH UPDATE CUMMINS

NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL – OBJECTIVE

VIEW OF FUTURE ENERGY NEEDS
In its endeavour to be the powertrain supplier of choice, Cummins, the global power and technology leader, is
working on developing a broad portfolio of technology capabilities so that it is able to offer its customers the right
technology suited to their specific markets. In India during the Auto Expo in February this year, the Cummins
leadership team made it clear that the US-headquartered company is focused on adding that critical piece of
value leveraging on the deep understanding it has built over a century of its existence.

Electrification clearly was the buzzword
at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2018. Passen-
ger or commercial vehicles – OEMs show-
cased to the world their capabilities in the
area of electrified vehicles. Cummins, the
leading manufacturer of diesel and natu-
ral gas engines, as well as related technol-
ogies, believes that future vehicles would
most certainly be powered by some kind
of electrified powertrains. But the transi-
tion wouldn’t be as drastic as is being
projected by some.
The message Julie Furber, Executive
Director – Electrification, Cummins deliv-
ered was fairly clear. For decades, the
automotive industry has been following
the “one size fits all” principle, but that’s
not going to hold good in the years to
come. The demand will be for multiple
solutions – technology and applications
will be “horses for courses, not one size
fits all”, she said.
ELECTRIC ROADMAP
The company claims it offers the indus-
try the broadest, most energy-diverse
power portfolio. And many of those solu-
tions were on display at the Auto Expo,
including an electric powertrain for com-
mercial vehicle operations, which is
aimed to complement the company’s
clean-diesel, near-zero natural gas and
diesel-hybrid products.
Even as Cummins is making heavy
investments in the electrification of
engines, it is aware of the gaps it needs
to plug. Towards that, the company is
making both inorganic and organic
investments. In the past six-odd months,
the company has made a couple of

22 www.autotechreview.com
acquisitions and will continue to make
further investments and acquisitions in
the future.
Furber believes her division can lever-
age many of the skills and attributes
from the diesel side. Notably, Cummins’
diesel engine success is not just attrib-
uted to investments in engines, but also
the sub-systems, including fuel systems,
controls, air handling, filtration and
emission solutions. Similarly, in the elec-
trification business, the company is
already investing in battery, motor and
power electronics technology to ensure it
develops the right expertise in the sub-
systems required for electric powertrains.
“We must be able to successfully inte-
grate all the sub-systems together with
the powertrains that we make; and be
able to service them in all the markets
that we operate in,” said Furber.
In October 2017, Cummins announced
the acquisition of Brammo, which designs
and develops battery packs for mobile
and stationary applications. At the end of
January 2018, Cummins acquired Johnson
Matthey’s automotive battery systems
business, and signed an agreement to col-
laborate on eLNO high energy battery
materials. The understanding between the
two companies is to collaborate on mate-
rials for the future.
The company has clearly devised a
detailed strategy on batteries. We asked
Furber if Cummins also intends to offer
batteries as a solution to the industry,
beyond its own internal consumption.
Responding in the affirmative, she said
Cummins is already selling a lithium-ion
battery solution to Raymond forklifts –
Toyota’s material handling business.
Here too, she drew a parallel to the die-
sel engine business. Cummins’ compo-
nents business sells turbochargers to
engines made by other manufacturers.
That’s the model it wants to pursue for
batteries as well.
These are significant investments to
further Cummins’ electrification business.
Although both these acquisitions are in
the battery domain, the company isn’t
going to make cells, clarified Furber. The
idea is to buy cells from the big suppliers,
while Cummins will manufacture the
modules, work on battery management
software and thermal management to
deliver battery packs, she said. Similarly,
the company has strategies for other com-
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
ponents for electromobility.
From an Indian perspective, Furber is
aware of the Indian government’s ambi-
tious plan to move to a complete EV eco-
system by 2030. If not all, certain applica-
tions can certainly have a head start. An
intra-city bus, which can return to the
depot to charge at night, is an ideal appli-
cation. The right battery size, offering the
requisite range and at the right cost,
makes good sense. However, forcing the
same solution on a long haul inter-city
truck without charging infrastructure in
place and without sufficient battery tech-
nology to carry the load would be jump-
ing too far, she said.
Ultimately, it's also not just about the
technology being viable for the cost-sensi-
tive Indian market. Tim Proctor, Executive
Director – Product Management & Market
Innovation, Cummins said there's a need
to develop an ecosystem of the supply
base. Having in place the right charging
infrastructure is necessary, but having the
supply base to support electrification of
the powertrain is equally important.
That's a critical hurdle that the industry
will have to address, commented Proctor.
“It’s inspiring that leaders are putting out
these challenges, but we have to see how
the whole community responds,” he said.
ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS
For now, company officials believe they
are still better-off with largely predomi-
nant internal combustion engine solu-
tions. But between the IC engines and
electrified powertrains, there is a spec-
Julie Furber, Executive Director –
Electrification, Cummins
trum that is available for exploration.
Proctor recognises the fact that there is
great potential for hybridisation in the
sector. “I think we’ll create opportunities
for new products and maybe in some new
spaces for us. We don't think it's an either
or. We see a great opportunity to benefit
customers when we make the right blend
of these technologies as well bringing
electrification to really complement the
capabilities and strengths of the diesel
engines,” said Proctor.
That aside, the company is also work-
ing on fuel cell technologies in addition
to its investment in natural gas-based
solutions. Furber does recognise that
nature gas could be more of a bridge
technology, but it does make sense in
many markets globally.
Broadly, the company is essentially
looking at near zero well-to-wheel CO2
and near zero well-to-wheel NOx emis-
sions. That’s obviously not an easy goal
to achieve, unless the source of electricity
generation itself is renewable. “It’ not the
case yet, but it continues to get cleaner
every day. Equally, if you have biofuel
and burn it in a natural gas engine, we
manage to achieve near zero emissions,”
said Furber highlighting the fact that mul-
tiple alternative energy sources and pow-
ertrain options are in play today. Depend-
ing on the availability of the types of
fuels, and depending upon the emission
types, there is still a big opportunity for IC
engines and diverse energy sources to
power them.
At the Auto Expo, Cummins show-
cased its intent to evolve into a fully inte-
grated powertrain supplier, and displayed
Tim Proctor, Executive Director – Product Manage-
ment & Market Innovation, Cummins
23
TECH UPDATE CUMMINS
the Eaton Cummins AMT solution. The
two companies had signed a JV in 2017 to
leverage their respective technical
strengths and experience, with a target to
become the world’s leading powertrain
supplier. The JV’s objective is to deliver
the most advanced automated transmis-
sions and develop an integrated power-
train and service network that supports
Cummins’ customers, Tom Linebarger,
Chairman and CEO, Cummins had said.
INDIA AN EXCITING MARKET
Cummins has had a long association
with the Indian industry, starting its
operations in 1962. In the current con-
text, the company is well prepared to
meet the stringent upcoming emission
norms. At the Auto Expo, the company
displayed its all-new BS VI emission
compliant engines, turbocharger technol-
ogies, exhaust after-treatment technolo-
gies and solutions for BS VI compliant
engines. The BS VI engines promise bet-
ter performance in terms of increased
power & torque density, improved relia-
bility, extended service intervals and
advanced telematics offerings, said Ash-
wat Ram, VP – Engine Business, Cum-
mins India.
He talked about the company’s inten-
tion to be a one-stop shop solution pro-
vider by offering the complete package of
the engine as well as after-treatment sys-
tem. The new BS VI engine architecture,
for instance, is a non-EGR architecture to
reduce the system complexities and to
provide better value to the customers.
24
Ram confirmed it’s not entirely a new
architecture, and is based on platforms
that are already sold globally. This engine,
in fact, is an evolution of the engine Cum-
mins first produced in 2013 to meet BS VI
equivalent emission norms.
Ram also spoke about the single mod-
ule after-treatment solution, exclusively
developed for the BS VI compliant
engines. The solution is approximately
60 % smaller and 40 % lighter than com-
peting products in the market, and
comes with Cummins’ advanced AUS32
dosing & mixing technologies for driving
higher efficiencies in NOx conversion.
This is clubbed with smart controls strat-
egy to drive improved fluid efficiency of
the vehicle in a variety of applications.
Additionally, the company’s experience Ashwat Ram, VP – Engine Business, Cummins India
in SCR technology in the Indian market
provides it a definite edge in the BS VI
regime, said Ram. CONCLUSION
Proctor added, “We may have gained
from similar applications of similar emis- The company recently opened its largest
sions levels elsewhere in the world, but technical centre at the Kothrud campus
it's important to note that while we in Pune, with state-of-the-art labs, engine
launched those products in 2013 or there- test cells and engineering facilities. Con-
abouts that technology hasn't stood still fident of continued growth in India,
in the intervening five years. This clearly Cummins believes the more stringent
is not just a copy and paste. What we've emission norms – the move to BS VI –
been able to do is learn how our architec- present the company significant opportu-
ture works, and then leverage not only nities to provide its customers with tech-
our experience but bring advances in the nologies that will help them succeed in
technology.” For instance, in dosing sys- their businesses. To support every global
tems and catalyst systems, the company business and product line the company
has been able to produce a system that produces, the new facility houses 36
not only meets the unique needs of Indian engine test cell slots, two turbocharger
commercial vehicles, but also bring the rigs, one emissions burner test rig, eight
benefit of proven technology combined product line specific labs and nine
with the latest innovations. shared services labs.
The new tech centre will also house an
electrification team, working not just for
India but also globally. The company rec-
ognises India is a great source of skills
and resources for its global business.
India’s electromobility target may be very
optimistic, considering the foundations
are not yet in place. But there is no doubt
that the transition to electric is inevitable,
though it will take time.
TEXT: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah
PHOTO: Cummins
Cummins has made a
couple of acquisitions over
the past six months and
will continue to pursue Read this article on
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C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

TRANSMISSION-EQUIPPED WHEEL
HUB MOTOR FOR PASSENGER CARS
Wheel hub motors are a promising drive technology for future vehicle generations. They can be used in various
types of vehicles, such as hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. However, commercialisation
has yet to be achieved. This is due to the difficulty of designing miniaturised motors, while at the same time de-
livering both large driving torque and a sufficiently high top speed. To meet these requirements, NSK has now
developed new wheel hub motors that are being tested in a concept vehicle.

© NSK

26 www.autotechreview.com
 AUTHORS
SHIN YAMAMOTO
M. Sc. (Eng.) works in the
Powertrain Technology Development
Division, Automotive Technology
Development Center at NSK Ltd in
Tokyo (Japan).
RYUHO MORITA
M. Sc. (Eng.) works in the
Powertrain Technology Development
Division, Automotive Technology
Development Center at NSK Ltd in
Tokyo (Japan).
MITSURU OIKE
M. Sc. (Eng.) works in the
Powertrain Technology Development
Division, Automotive Technology
Development Center at NSK Ltd in
Tokyo (Japan)
0.6
Acceleration [G]
0.4
0.2
1 Performance of electric vehicles: transmission with one gear ratio (left), two-speed transmission (right) (© NSK)
autotechreview A p r il 2 018
REQUIREMENTS FOR
FUTURE VEHICLES
Environmental compatibility has been
recognised as one of the most important
factors in the development and specifi-
cation of vehicle powertrain compo-
nents. For that reason, there is a clear
trend towards different types of electrifi-
cation, such as Hybrid Electric Vehicles
(HEVs), Electric Vehicles (EVs), and
Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs). One type of
electric drive unit is the wheel hub
motor, also known as an in-wheel
motor. This drive unit design will be
used much more frequently in future
vehicle generations.
NSK believes that wheel hub motors
have three major advantages. First,
wheel hub motors have the potential for
reducing vehicle weight, as powertrain
components such as the transmission,
differential, and drive shaft will be no
longer necessary, since wheel hub
motors are installed next to the wheel.
This reduces fuel consumption and
therefore improves environmental per-
formance. Second, wheel hub motors
enhance the dynamic safety of cars
because, unlike vehicles with an inter-
nal combustion engine, the wheels can
be controlled independently, thus allow-
ing much better traction control. What
is more, they also shorten the time
response of the traction control very sig-
nificantly compared to conventional
traction control systems. Third, wheel
hub motors create more space in the
Motor profile
ef Hig
Acceleration [G]
fic h
Desired ie
nc
driving y (high gear)
performance
Typical use
0 0
0 50 100 150
Vehicle speed [km/h]
Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
vehicle interior and improve ride com-
fort, as the number of powertrain com-
ponents can be reduced.
However, commercialisation of wheel
hub motors has yet to be achieved,
because of the difficulty of miniaturising
the motors while achieving both a high
driving torque and a sufficiently high
top speed.
GEAR SHIFTING IN
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Most of the electric vehicles currently
available are equipped with a fixed-ratio
speed reducer instead of a transmission.
However, a disadvantage of this solution
is that the desired driving performance
graph and the torque-speed performance
graph of the electric motor are not simi-
lar in shape. Therefore, the electric
motor has to have a higher power out-
put to cover the entire range of specified
driving and performance scenarios, 1
(left). However, a more powerful electric
motor means more weight. This is obvi-
ously unfavourable due to the need for
lightweight design (emissions reduction)
and because the wheel hub motor has
to be installed in a tight space inside or
near the wheel.
However, if the wheel hub motor is
equipped with a simple two-speed trans-
mission, the torque-speed graph of the
electric motor will fit better to the
desired driving performance of the vehi-
cle, ① (right). This makes it possible to
Motor profile
0.6
(low gear)
effi
Hi ency
0.4
gh
ci
Motor profile
0.2 H
effi igh
cie
ncy
Typical use
0 50 100 150
Vehicle speed [km/h]
27
 C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS
Φ259 mm
Φ259 mm
285 mm
154 mm
2 speeds
(low gear and high gear)
2 Internal mechanism of the wheel hub motor (© NSK)
choose a smaller motor with less power
without compromising the desired driv-
ing performance. At the same time, it
also reduces the weight of the motor by
30 % compared to one with a fixed-ratio
transmission. Moreover, operating
points in the desired driving perfor-
mance are usually distributed in the low
torque and low speed range, especially
for major test cycles like NEDC or JC08.
A motor equipped with a two-speed
transmission reduces energy consump-
tion and therefore increases the driving
range of the vehicle per battery charge.
DESIGN AND OPERATION OF
A WHEEL HUB MOTOR
Based on these considerations, NSK has
Parameter
Maximum power
Maximum wheel torque
Maximum speed
Weight
Additional unsprung mass
Rated battery voltage
3 Specification of the wheel hub motor (© NSK)
28
Hub unit bearing with
Motor B Motor A
built-in speed reducer
One-way
clutch unit
Transmission
developed a wheel hub drive system
consisting of two small electric motors,
a one-way clutch unit, a two-speed
transmission, and a hub bearing with an
integrated final gear, 2. The develop-
ment process focused on the following
objectives:
:: Downsizing with two compact
electric motors and a transmission;
:: High level of torque and a suffi-
ciently high top speed; and
:: Smooth and hardly perceivable
gear shifts.
The transmission consists of two plane-
tary gear sets (single pinion and double
pinion planetary gear sets). The ring gear
of the single pinion planetary gear is
connected to the carrier of the double
pinion planetary gear. The transmission
also has a one-way clutch unit with two
Target value
25 kW per wheel
850 Nm (low gear)
400 Nm (high gear and reverse gear)
135 km/h
32 kg (including knuckle)
23.7 kg
400 V DC
support bearings. It controls the rota-
tional direction of the planetary carrier of
the single pinion planetary gear set when
shifting. The hub unit bearing has a
built-in speed reducer, which increases
the output torque of the transmission.
The wheel hub motor was designed to
fulfil the specifications listed in 3. It
achieves both a high driving torque and
a sufficiently high top speed.
The wheel hub motor has two speeds
for forward driving and a single speed
for reverse. Motor A and motor B are
controlled by one motor controller,
which is capable of operating two elec-
tric motors independently, 4.
Motor A and motor B rotate in oppo-
site directions when in low-gear opera-
tion. The one-way clutch unit is then
engaged and it stops the carrier of the
single pinion planetary gear set. When
the rotational direction of motor B is
reversed, the one-way clutch unit is dis-
engaged and the transmission shifts
from low- to high-gear operation.
Motor A and motor B are under
torque control while in low-gear opera-
tion. When the control algorithm of
motor B changes from torque control to
speed control, the transmission shifts
from low- to high-gear operation. How-
ever, the control algorithm of motor A
remains under torque control. The set
point of motor B is the current rotational
speed of motor A, while in high-gear
operation. That means that motor B is
controlled in such a way that it catches
up with motor A. The transmission does
not require any hydraulic pressure or
actuators for shifting gears, as the gears
are shifted purely by controlling the
direction of rotation and the speed of the
two electric motors. As a result, gear
changes are smooth and can barely be
noticed by the drivers and passengers.
This transmission meets the require-
ments for a very compact and
weight-saving drive system design. The
high driving torque in low gear operation
is achieved by the power recirculation
between the two planetary gear sets. In
high-gear operation, the transmission
achieves a sufficiently high top speed.
In reverse-gear operation, motor A
and motor B rotate in opposite direc-
tions to each other, but the combination
of the rotational directions of the two
motors is different from that of low-gear
www.autotechreview.com
operation. In reverse-gear operation,
motor A rotates backwards and motor B
rotates forwards. This is because the
single-pinion planetary carrier is
allowed to rotate in only one direction
by the one-way clutch unit. The wheel
hub motor moves in reverse only when
the speed ratio between motor A and
motor B is maintained as a constant.
The speed ratio for reverse-gear opera-
tion is limited. The mean operating
range must be chosen in such a way
that forward motion of the vehicle is
impossible. The upper and lower speed
ranges for reversing are defined by the
number of gear teeth on the two plane-
tary gear sets.
DEMONSTRATOR VEHICLE
NSK has built a test vehicle in order to
conduct real road tests. A wheel hub
motor is installed in each of the two
front wheels, 5. The control system of
the wheel hub motor consists of driver
interfaces (accelerator pedal, mode
switch, shift switch), a tandem AutoBox
and an inverter. Signals from driver inter-
faces are input to the tandem AutoBox. It
calculates the desired operating mode of
the inverter and the desired torque/
speed, and transmits these commands to
the inverter. The inverter consists of two
IGBT modules, a microcomputer, and
several heat sinks. The microcomputer is
capable of controlling two IGBT modules
simultaneously and is thus able to con-
Wheel hub motor
Motor A
Composed of two Motors, Motor A and Motor B
Shifting mechanism
Motors are rotating in opposite direction
4 Rotational directions of motor A and motor B for low- and high-gear operations (© NSK)
autotechreview A p r il 2 018
trol the two electric motors that are inte-
grated to form a single drive unit. The
wheel hub motor has three operating
modes: low-speed mode, high-speed
mode, and reverse mode.
The test vehicle is composed of a
main frame and front/ rear sub-frames.
The main frame accommodates the bat-
tery cells (under the seats), a battery
management system (behind the seats),
and the tandem AutoBox (in the rear).
The AutoBox is used as the central vehi-
cle controller and also as the data acqui-
sition and storage system. Next to the
test driver, there is space for a test engi-
neer. The sub-frames can be removed
from the main frame and hold the invert-
ers. This modular design enables the test
vehicle to be used for various purposes.
ROAD TEST RESULTS
NSK has conducted road tests with the
test vehicle and has confirmed the per-
formance of the new wheel hub motor
in different driving situations and in all
operating modes. 6 shows the road test
results for upshift and downshift opera-
tions. Motor A and motor B rotate in
opposite directions and the wheel
rotates forward when in low gear. In
this case, both motors are operated in
torque control mode. Motor B rotates to
catch up with the speed of motor A
when in high gear, and the wheel is
accelerated forward. The tests also con-
firmed that acceleration in low gear
Motor B
Low gear Shifting mechanism
Motors are rotating in the same direction
Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
operation is at least twice as high as in
high gear operation.
One of the unique features of the
wheel hub motor is its smooth shift
function. The wheel hub motor has two
electric motors and power from these
motors is merged into one by using the
transmission with the two planetary
gear sets. If the speed and torque of two
motors is controlled very precisely, the
driver can upshift or downshift even
while accelerating or decelerating. This
shockless shift function was also veri-
fied in road tests, ⑥. It makes it possi-
ble to achieve continuous acceleration
or deceleration and a constant vehicle
speed even during a gear shift.
OBJECTIVE OF THE DEVELOPMENT
Although NSK has built a test vehicle
with the wheel hub motor, they are not
aiming to commercialise the complete
drive unit. Such an in-wheel drive system
can only be developed and brought to
series production readiness by competent
OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. Instead, NSK
plans to mass-produce the mechanical
components of such an in-wheel electric
motor system.
These mechanical components are
shown in ② (yellow). The hub unit bear-
ing with a built-in speed reducer works as
the final gear stage, while miniature cage
and roller bearings ensure the smooth
rotation of small planetary gear sets. The
one-way clutch unit enables gears to be
High gear
5 Wheel hub drive on test vehicle (© NSK)
29
 C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

Low gear  high gear High gear  low gear

The new bearing no longer has a plane-
Start shifting Complete shifting Start shifting Complete shifting tary gear set. Instead, it uses integrated
gear sets.
Low gear High gear High gear Low gear

Motor A Torque control Motor A Torque control

Motor B Torque control Speed control Motor B Speed control Torque control

2500 200 1500 120

SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
Motor A Motor A
2000 190 110
With its wheel hub motor, NSK has

Wheel speed [rpm]

Motor speed [rpm]

1000
Motor speed [rpm]

Wheel speed [rpm]

1500 180 Wheel 100
developed an innovative concept for a
1000 170 90
Wheel 500
compact and powerful drive system for
500 160 80 electric vehicles that offers both a high
0 150
0
70 level of torque and a sufficiently high
-500 140 Motor B 60 top speed. The drive system has proven
-1000
Motor B 130 -500 50 its practical capabilities in a test vehicle.
-0.5 0 0.5 1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 NSK is not looking to commercialise the
Time [s] Time [s]
drive concept. This will be reserved for
6 Test results for bumpless gear changes (left: upshift, right: downshift) (© NSK) OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. Instead, the
goal of NSK is to mass-produce the
mechanical components of such a
wheel-integrated drive, thereby increas-
ing the attractiveness of efficient, envi-
ronmentally-friendly electric drives.
The second generation of the wheel
hub motor is currently under develop-
Φ259 mm ment. It features an even more compact
design and a higher speed level. The
Φ160 mm Φ236 mm first model of the second generation
wheel hub motor was exhibited at the
Tokyo Motor Show in autumn 2017. The
154 mm 55 mm next step is the installation of this wheel
hub motor in the described test vehicle
and the verification of the specified data
in the real experiment.
First generation Second generation (under development)

7 Comparison between the first (left) and the second generation (right) (© NSK)

shifted without hydraulic pressure and this motor. For that reason, a more com-
anti-corrosion bearings prevent electric pact design particularly in the axial direc-
corrosion. These components can be used tion is a key development objective for
in the wheel hub motor described here as the second generation of this wheel hub
well as in in-wheel motor systems that are motor, the development of which already
still to be developed. began at the end of 2016, ⑦ (right). The
basic concept was retained. However, the
second generation requires 99 mm less
SECOND, MUCH MORE axial installation space than the first. This
COMPACT GENERATION is primarily due to a new motor arrange-
ment. Motors A and B are now arranged
For the first generation of the new wheel circumferentially around the hub bearing
hub motor, the development objectives and no longer have a coaxial arrange-
have been achieved and the performance ment. Further, features of the new motors
data – as shown here – have been con- compared to the first generation are
firmed. However, this motor requires an higher speeds and more compact dimen-
additional 154 mm of installation space in sions. The maximum speed has been
an axial direction, 7 (left). It is therefore increased from 5,000 to 12,000 rpm.
only suitable for wheel suspension sys- The new design of the wheel bearings Read this article on
tems that were specially developed for also contributes to a shorter axial length. www.autotechreview.com

30 www.autotechreview.com
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C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

CO 2 POTENTIALS OF
DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSIONS
Dual-clutch Transmissions (DCT) and Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) have their benefits and disad-
vantages when it comes to energy efficiency and emissions. Related to regional preferences in Europe and Ja-
pan, both transmission types are widespread in the markets. Getrag, Magna Powertrain, compares both trans-
missions against their possibilities for fuel and CO2 reduction. The more dynamic load conditions in the new
WLTC are in favour of the DCT technology.

© Stockwerk | stock.adobe.com

32 www.autotechreview.com
 AUTHORS
DIPL-ING MARTIN BAHNE
is Senior Manager for Attribute &
Technical Excellence at Getrag BV &
Co KG, Magna Powertrain in
Cologne (Germany).
DIPL-ING ULRICH FREY
is Technical Specialist for Fuel
Economy, Efficiency & Performance
at Getrag BV & Co KG, Magna
Powertrain in Cologne (Germany).
1 Increased percentage loads in the WLTC for engine torque, engine speed, vehicle velocity and high velocity time share – mean value comparison for a
B-segment car with six-speed DCT (© Magna)
autotechreview A p r il 2 018
REDUCING CARBON DIOXIDE
EMISSIONS
Reducing CO2 emissions is becoming
more important in the global automotive
market. With stricter exhaust gas emis-
sion legislation, technologies with higher
efficiency potential will gain even more
importance than today. Transmissions will
play an essential role to help OEMs
achieve their emission goals.
Due to a steady growth of the market
share and continuous further technol-
ogy development, Dual-clutch Transmis-
sions (DCT) have reached within few
years an efficiency level that considera-
bly contributes to reducing CO2 and
fleet fuel consumption on a larger scale.
Advanced shift actuation is one major
contributor to this progress. Moreover,
continuous improvements are being
made in areas like friction or splash
losses to some extent, also thanks to
technology synergies with other layshaft
transmission types, such as manual
transmission (MT) etc.
In this article, Getrag, Magna Power-
train, focusses on a CO2 comparison of a
small DCT to a typical application in a
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) in the B to C segment, based on an
identical set-up of platform and engines
and real data. The purpose is to show
how the small DCT performs in the direct
Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
competitive environment of automated
small cars. Furthermore, it is shown how
the results of this comparison change,
when moving from NEDC to the more
dynamic WLTC, and using advanced
engine technology.
Besides this efficiency comparison,
the parameters are outlined here that
define the efficiency of DCT technology
and the potentials for further efficiency
improvement in terms of reducing losses,
optimising operation strategy, etc –
including an outlook on advanced inte-
grated design and development methods
in future powertrains.
TRANSMISSION DEVELOPMENT
WITHIN THE WLTC
From September 2017, the CO2 and pollut-
ant emissions of new types of cars are
being measured using the Worldwide Har-
monized Light Vehicles Test Cycle
(WLTC). As is known, the WLTC has
higher dynamic requirements on the pow-
ertrain compared to the NEDC; maximum
and average engine speed is higher, load
is generally more complex, 1. Within the
transition period until 2021, the results are
converted to NEDC equivalents to deter-
mine the tax-relevant CO2 emissions.
However, for new car developments,
OEMs practically need to design their
33
C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS
5
Better
[%]
0
6-speed AT
Worse
-5
-10
Fuel consumption with different transmission types in NEDC (extract);
source: DAT report, Q4 2016 / Q2 2017 [1]
-15
2 Efficiency comparison – mean value and median of fuel consumption of AT, CVT and DCT, compared to MT in percent based on NEDC values [1]; differences were
built for same vehicles/engines (© Magna)
powertrains according to the WLTC
requirements even today.
With regard to transmissions, OEMs
are confronted with a double challenge:
firstly, meeting future CO2 requirements
will be generally tougher, and secondly
the impact of the chosen transmission
technology will change. The reason is not
simply the need for best possible base
efficiency. In addition, higher engine load
changes the requirements to adapt trans-
mission ratios and shift points to the con-
sumption map.
BASIC DIFFERENCES OF DCT AND
CVT TECHNOLOGY
2 shows an efficiency comparison
between MT, CVT, torque converter Auto-
matic Transmission (AT) and DCT, based
3 Benchmark approach for the CVT and DCT application (© Magna)
34
CVT
on VDA and DAT data [1]. In this study,
Getrag compares DCT and CVT technol-
ogy for typical B to C segment high pro-
duction volume applications. These trans-
mission types are common in global high
volume applications and can affect fleet
fuel consumptions to a large extent.
Comparing DCT and CVT technology,
there are some basic differences that may
even come into higher effect, when mov-
ing to the future WLTC. The CVT offers an
“infinite” number of gears on the one
hand, but on the other hand it is limited
in terms of spread unless an auxiliary
gear set is added, which is not common
in lower car segments. DCTs today have
usually six to seven gears, and – in con-
trast to planetary gear sets of ATs – the
single step ratios can be widely varied for
an optimal compromise from driveability
and consumption in spread and stepping.
6/7-speed DCT
Diesel, main value
Diesel, median
Gasoline, main value
Gasoline, median
One obvious DCT advantage is that
only one friction element (the active
clutch) must be kept closed, while CVTs
require comparably large clamping forces
for the frictional connection of the push
belt or link chain. Amongst other find-
ings, this study will show that mechanical
losses at high vehicle velocities and actua-
tion force are likely to play a more impor-
tant role on the way from NEDC to WLTC
and consequently in “real-life” conditions.
TEST BENCH AND
SIMULATION SET-UP
A fair comparison between two transmis-
sion types requires an identical environ-
ment in terms of vehicle architecture and
engine. In a first step, a typical B segment
car with a CVT and a naturally aspirated
www.autotechreview.com
4 Comparison of efficiencies for MT, DCT and CVT for a torque range of 20 to 100 Nm (© Magna)

5 Comparison of engine operation points for a six-speed DCT of the type Getrag 6DCT200 and for a CVT (© Magna)

1.3 l gasoline engine, equipped with
torque loss sensors, was measured on a
roller test bench. Regarding NEDC and
WLTC emissions, shift strategy, converter
characteristics and transmission effi-
ciency, measuring data were acquired.
This data was transferred and correlated
to the according CVT model of a vehicle
simulation software [2]. 3 shows the
benchmark approach for the CVT and
DCT application. On this basis, several
comparisons of DCT and CVT within the
same vehicle and with the same engine
could be made.
In further steps, turbo engines were
integrated into the model, as well as vari-
ations of the spread for the DCT. The pur-
pose of this step-by-step approach was to
initially receive most comparable base
data, and then to move to DCT CO2 poten-
tials in further simulations. The wider
spread for example is a realistic option for
DCTs, while the CVT is limited in this
respect by design.
COMPARISON OF PARASITIC LOSSES
The initially found results, 4, when com-
paring conventional MT, DCT and CVT,
showed little differences between a six-
speed MT and six-speed DCT in terms of
parasitical losses within a torque range of
20 to 100 Nm [3]. For both transmissions
types, efficiency was nearly equal, to
about 95 % in a wide area, with values
just above 90 % at 20 Nm. The additional
splashing losses of the dual clutch and its
seal friction have only minor effect on the
total parasitic losses.
The CVT efficiency was generally
lower, below 90 % at the best point with
1:1 ratio, falling to values around 80 %
with different ratios in most conditions
within the NEDC or WLTC. In the case of
the CVT, the efficiency at low torque is
apparently lower, with values around 70
to 75 %. This effect can be explained by
the clamping forces, which require dispro-
portionally high actuation force despite
low torque requirements. Another reason
is that the clamping force cannot be
reduced proportionally to reduced torque,
because the CVT needs to be protected
from road impacts via the chassis to pre-
vent slip at belt or chain.
Generally, it can be seen that actuation
force for frictional locking is a major con-
tributor to parasitical losses of CVTs. The
6DCT200 from Getrag requires around 20
W for keeping the clutch closed in the
NEDC, thus having little effect on the
base efficiency even at lower loads.
COMPARISON OF
CONSUMPTION MAPS
The results for fuel consumption simula-
tion show why real life consumption with
the CVT is better than the base efficiency
would suggest. In the comparison of the
standard six-speed DCT with the bench-
mark CVT, it can be seen that the CVT

autotechreview A p r il 2 018 Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4 35

C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS
6 Study about top gear ratio, number of gears and spread varied (© Magna)
can more precisely adapt ratios to efficient
engine operation points at lower engine
speeds in the NEDC. However, it also
becomes apparent that the CVT requires
higher engine power, reflecting its higher
parasitical losses. In other words, the CVT
allows the engine to operate more effi-
ciently by adjusting torque and speed.
Overall, this leads to an equal fuel con-
sumption of the CVT and six-speed DCT
in NEDC cycle, while the DCT is about 2
% better in WLTC due to lower efficiency
of the CVT at higher vehicle velocities
portions in the cycle, 5.
In a further study, lower engine target
speeds after gear shift were added to the
DCT. This results in lower engine speeds
and a shift towards better specific fuel
consumption areas in the map. The study
shows clearly, how DCT operating points
move to lower engine speeds, which
hardly exceed values around 1,800 rpm,
while the CVT vehicle uses similar speeds
but at higher loads. This down-speeding
effect through a larger spread and longer
top gear ratio in combination with mod-
ern torsional dampers brings a further
advantage of up to 5 % in the NEDC and
6 % in the WLTC, in favour of the DCT.
EFFECTS OF GEARSET
LAYOUT VARIATION
Other than for CVTs – unless they have an
auxiliary gear set – the spread of DCTs
can be freely varied and extended a rea-
sonable scale in principle being defined
by driveability, traction demand, shift
comfort and consumption. In an earlier
survey [4], Getrag had found that in mid
torque applications, seven gears often rep-
resent a good balance. Depending on
boundary conditions like maximum
torque, vehicle velocity, etc. six or eight
36
gears are adequate. Latest spread studies
in conjunctions with a 1.0 l turbo engine
have shown that a longer top gear ratio
and larger spread enable a significant fuel
saving effect, 6. This holds true in sev-
eral configurations with different spreads
and top gear ratios.
Interestingly, the CO2 benefit from
seven to nine gears is low, when reducing
engine speeds after upshifts. This can be
achieved by using a modern damper
instead of a usual dual-mass flywheel,
allowing reduction of the engine speed
after upshift to about 1,000 rpm. As a
result, further downsizing potential can
be exploited while at the same time
reducing the need for additional gears.
The number of gears is in practice rather
driven by performance and drivability
requirements, where a seventh speed may
make sense.
SUMMARY
Technology benchmark and comparison
is limited in that it cannot reflect every
possible use case. Here, Getrag, Magna
Powertrain, focusses on DCT and CVT
technology for the B to C segment that
have a huge impact in global volume car
production and can affect fleet fuel con-
sumption to a large extent. Generally,
CVTs have an advantage when it comes
to precise load point optimisation within
a given test cycle. However, this advan-
tage becomes smaller with higher engine
loads in the WLTC.
In an initial comparison between the
CVT and DCT with six speeds and simi-
lar spread, both transmissions performed
equally in the NEDC, while the DCT is 2
% better in the WLTC. By optimising the
DCT in terms of spread and top gear
ratio, using a modern damper and a 1.0 l
turbo engine, the DCT performs up to 5
% better in the NEDC and 6 % better in
the WLTC.
One general finding was that more
dynamic load conditions in the WLTC are
in favour of the DCT technology. There-
fore, the DCT will remain fuel efficiency
leader in B to C segment due to flexible
gear ratios, large spread (down-speeding)
and excellent mechanical efficiency.
While not being measured in this
study, further potential can be found by
measures like once more reduced splash
losses, optimised gear friction, improved
bearings and extended load monitoring or
warm-up strategy. Furthermore – but
beyond direct influence of transmission
developers – larger engine areas of activ-
ity will further improve the efficiency
advantage of DCTs.
REFERENCES
[1] DAT Deutsche Automobil-Treuhand: Leitfaden
über den Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO2-Emissionen
und den Stromverbrauch. 3rd quarter 2017, on-
line: https://www.dat.de/angebote/verlagsprodukte/
leitfaden-kraftstoffverbrauch.html, access: 10 Au-
gust 2017
[2] Diehl, M.: Lösungsansätze durch Systemsim-
ulation. AVL Transmission Tech Day, Neu-Ulm
(Germany), March 2016
[3] Bahne, M.; Frey, U.: CO 2 Potentials of DCTs –
Competition Benchmark and Technology Outlook.
Getrag Drivetrain Forum, Untergruppenbach (Ger-
many), October 2016
[4] Lexa, D.; Eggert, U.: Transmission Design
Revolution in the Spot-Light of Combustion Engine
Technology Evolution. 26th International AVL Con-
ference Engine & Environment, Graz (Austria),
September 2014
Read this article on
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C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

SINGLE-SPEED TRANSMISSION
FOR NEXT-GEN BATTERY
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The requirements for electric powertrains are becoming more and more demanding both in terms of technical
specifications and, most importantly, cost. Highly integrated electric drives are therefore an attractive option. In
this article Oerlikon discusses a new transmission for electric drives.

© Oerlikon

38 www.autotechreview.com
 AUTHORS
DAVID GAGLIARDI
is Head of Business Development
Automotive German Market and
Head of Global HEV and E-Drives at
Oerlikon Drive Systems in
Schorndorf (Germany).
AMOS GOBETTI
is Senior Engineer HEV and E-Drives
at Oerlikon Drive Systems in
Schorndorf (Germany).
autotechreview A p r il 2 018
INTRODUCTION
Oerlikon and Continental decided to
jointly develop a highly integrated electric
drive platform for electric vehicles
through their strategic alliance that started
in 2013. The target was to design a very
compact system as required by OEMs
with high performance and affordable
cost. Continental develops and manufac-
tures the electric motor and power elec-
tronics of the third generation, while Oer-
likon is responsible for the complete
development and manufacturing of the
transmission, including the new parking
lock system.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The powertrain unit integrates three sub-
systems: gearbox, electric motor and
inverter. It is designed for a front as well
as rear transversal installation in battery
electric vehicles, with the possibility of
using the same powertrain unit on both
axles in case of a 4WD option. The sys-
tem is designed to support a mileage of
300,000 km and 8,000 hr respectively.
The system requirements are defined
to comply with mid segment vehicles hav-
ing a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) up to
2,200 kg. A new electrically actuated park
lock concept was developed for the sys-
tem. As demanding cost and performance
targets have to be fulfilled, the integration
of functions among sub-systems and
attention to detail are the guidelines to
support the technical development, in
particular regarding noise and vibrations.
A shared support for rotor and gearbox
input shaft and the integration of the cool-
ing circuit of the electric motor with the
other sub-systems are important to reduce
designed space, weight and number of
components. The main system’s specifica-
tions are summarised in 1.
GEARBOX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The overall weight of the gearbox in
drained condition is 21 kg. Its layout is
characterised by two reduction stages
with splash lubrication. The overall centre
distance is only 150 mm achieved by a 75
mm first stage and a 117 mm second
stage, 2. The main transmission ratio (i
Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
= 9.37:1) is divided between the two
stages as i = 3.42 and i = 2.74. Since the
input shaft shares one support with the
electric motor’s rotor, only three ball bear-
ings are used to support both elements.
Intermediate shaft and final drive are
instead located and supported by low fric-
tion tapered roller bearings in order to
realise a compact design and to achieve
the weight target. The final drive gear is
bolted on a compact two satellite open
differential, while output shafts are con-
nected through a plug-in design with its
planetary bevel gears. The development of
the gear train is driven by the desire to
use Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)
oil, in order to support the achievement of
the efficiency target in all environmental
condition (> 96 %).
DESIGN CONCEPT CHALLENGES
A key feature of the system is represented
by the design definition of the shared sup-
port and the bearing layout, which can
influence the noise and vibration behav-
iour as well as system’s performance con-
sistency. Several layouts were considered
and analysed at system level, following a
robust design engineering approach. Espe-
cially bearing layout, axial load path from
primary shaft to static structures and alu-
minium housing concept have been
involved in this process:
:: With one central shared bearing, only
one of the two primary shafts can be
directly supported, while the other
shaft has to be located by a coupling
(spline and centering diameter). The
tolerance chain for the shaft supported
Overall dimensions
500 × 400 × 320
(L × W × H) [mm]
Total weight [kg] 75
Gearbox weight [kg] 21
Gear ratio (min.-max.) 9.3 (7.5-10)
Park-lock Electrically actuated
Max. speed [rpm] 14,000
Max. torque [Nm] 270
Max. power [kW] 120
Continuous power [kW] 60
1 System requirements (© Oerlikon)
39
C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS
Electric motor
Differential
2 Transmission layout (© Oerlikon)
by the coupling involves more design
features and therefore may lead to
higher position error. This affects both
the NVH behaviour of the gearbox and
the performance of the electric motor.
Furthermore the coupling is also influ-
encing the primary shaft radial load.
:: For each layout, different possibilities
to arrange the fixed bearing to sup-
port axial loads are possible. Solu-
tions with one or two fixed bearings
were analysed – each of the fixed
bearing layout generates different
functions and boundary conditions
on the coupling and therefore a dif-
ferent design concept.
:: The concept for aluminium housings is
a key element of the design; this does
define different static structure layouts,
which may influence the position error
of the shafts and the design to support
load paths.
The combination of all the options for
Central bearing
location
Fixed bearing layout
Aluminum housing
concept
40
75
mm
mm
7
11
mm
0
15
these three main design factors generated
over 30 different concepts: the concepts’
proposal tree is described in 3.
The assessment to support the concept
selection is based on virtual analysis and
testing activities performed during the
prototyping and validation phases. The
prediction of the gearbox influence on the
system behaviour focuses mainly on
transmission error analysis and surface
stress/ slip condition of the primary shaft
coupling. A Design of Experiments (DOE)
including different tolerance ranges imple-
mented on the possible solutions is as
well part of the assessment process during
which it became clear that the validation
of the coupling methodology is one of the
biggest challenges for the system.
NVH OPTIMISATION
In order to achieve the NVH target, a
…. ….
….
3 Diagram proposal for the
concept selection process
(© Oerlikon)
comprehensive methodology, based on
the use of several software tools, has been
implemented. The gear design develop-
ment may be divided into three main
steps: preliminary calculation of the gear
train in stiff environment, gear train cal-
culation installed in an environment rep-
resentative of the system stiffness and full
system NVH simulation.
The calculation performed in a stiff
environment allows the definition and
evaluation of the possible gear trains
within the available design space, through
the prediction of transmission errors and
stress status. The objective of the calcula-
tion is limited to the gear design. The cal-
culation of the gear train in an environ-
ment with “representative stiffness” of the
gearbox is already an analysis at sub-sys-
tem level. Its boundary conditions are
based on static stiffness, while the peak to
peak transmission errors and teeth loads
are predicted and evaluated as part of the
roadmap to the design definition of gears,
shaft and aluminium housings. Full NVH
system simulation as a dynamic system
simulation based on a finite element
approach including all design details is
the final step of the design assessment
with reference to noise performance.
NVH simulation for the gearbox con-
siders all the influences from deformation
and component stiffness to predict gear
whine orders, resonances and structural
vibrations. The accuracy of the model is
optimised by means of correlation with
experimental tests that consist of an
Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) on
gearbox components to support a step-by-
step correlation from component to
assembly. The experimental validation of
all the results from the virtual models is a
key point for the simulation success.
Therefore, since the early stage of the pro-
ject, experimental measurements of noise
emission and surface vibration analysis
under operating conditions at system level
in an anechoic driveline test cell, were
also planned.
PARK LOCK
A new electro-mechanically actuated park
lock was developed to reduce design
space and the torque required from the
brushed DC motor that actuates the
mechanism. The system drives the park
www.autotechreview.com
 pawl position through a cam profile, was also defined and integrated as a key
which allows to engage and disengage the part of the system. The park lock has
park-pawl with reduced loads and engag- three states:
ing time in all the conditions. An actua- :: Park lock disengaged: The cam profile
tion module with self-locking function holds the park pawl tooth out of the
park lock sprocket spaces, 4 (a).
:: Park lock armed: The park lock pawl
tooth is facing the sprocket tooth and
a) Park lock sprocket wheel
therefore can’t be fully engaged. The
preload spring therefore stores elastic
energy, ④ (b). This allows the engage-
ment in case of further vehicle move-
Preload spring ment (maximum allowed vehicle axial
Pawl movement is 90 mm).
Command shaft Cam :: Park lock engaged: with cam profile in
engaged position, the pawl engages the
park lock sprocket space, ④ (c).
Command shaft Engagement and disengagement time
recorded are < 400 ms in all environmen-
tal conditions with a current absorption
always < 10 A.
b) Park lock sprocket wheel
LUBRICATION
Preload spring
Gearbox aluminium housing design
Pawl focused on weight reduction require-
Command shaft Cam
Command shaft
ments, flexibility for installation on dif-
ferent vehicle frames and integration of
all the features necessary to support the
splash lubrication. Target of the defini-
tion of the lubrication layout is to reduce
as much as possible the number of com-
ponents and to support the functionality
with different installation angles. All the
different solutions are currently tested
and evaluated utilising transparent hous-
ings on a dedicated lubrication rig that
allow simulation of all the vehicle oper-
ating conditions, 5.
The experimental validation serves to
define the lubrication layout in detail
while Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) analysis was considered at the
early stage to provide a basic under-
standing of the trends inside the gearbox.
This approach provides the possibility to
assess in the best way the behaviour of
air/ oil mixture in the gearbox cavity.
The oil distribution is consistent with the
variations of the installation angles of the
gearbox and therefore allows a good flex-
ibility of the product for different engine
bay layouts. The input shaft gear, which
is significantly above the oil level, relies
on an optimised housing geometry to
collect the oil centrifuged in the region of
the teeth meshing.

DESIGN CRITERIA FOR THE MARKET

c) Park lock sprocket wheel
Developing a platform for different OEMs
requires the understanding of customer’s
needs but also the capability to anticipate
new demands. A key work-package
Preload spring
Pawl focused on the definition of the power-
Command shaft Cam
train load spectrum. The use of vehicle
virtual models applied on different driving
cycles is important to define load collec-
Command shaft
tives and performance at the core of the
powertrain dimensioning. Besides this,
technical specifications from different
4 Working principle of the park lock: (a) decoupled, 5 Transparent prototype used for lubrication OEMs were analysed to harmonise the dif-
(b) armed, (c) engaged (© Oerlikon) development (© Oerlikon) ferent possible missions for the target

6 Load collective
Drive Coast
severity based on the
Vehicle mass [kg] Bearing Overall Gear Bearing Overall Gear same reference driving
cycle and different
Load collective base 1500 1 1 1 1 1 1
vehicle mass; load
Load collective A 2000 0.81 0.77 0.7 1.57 2.84 2.23 collective A is generated
with less aggres-
Load collective B 2000 1.38 1.62 1.95 1.49 1.75 2.12 sive driving and more
Load collective C 2200 1.8 2.2 2.63 2.05 3.82 3.98 aggressive recuperation
strategies (© Oerlikon)

autotechreview A p r il 2 018 Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4 41

C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS
Side mounting
point location
Rear mounting point
location (option 1)
vehicles. The selection of a driving cycle
is extremely important, because this influ-
ences size and price of the gear train com-
ponents. For this reason, each driving
cycle was assessed with reference to the
cumulative damage on the key compo-
nents of the gearbox, 6.
Another important aspect of the plat-
form approach is the concept for the pow-
ertrain installation into different vehicle
frames. It was necessary to collect
requirements from several potential cus-
8 Instrumented prototype during validation test (© Oerlikon)
42
Rear mounting
point location
(option 2)
7 Mounting point location (© Oerlikon)
tomers to understand the relevant propos-
als of mounting strategy to be considered.
The gearbox housings can be customised
for two different mounting point position
concepts, 7.
The system is designed to allow a 25°
installation angle freedom from the nomi-
nal position. This requirement is the main
driver for the internal lubrication concept.
Transmission ratio is among the gearbox
parameters that can be modified to allow
the powertrain to fulfil different customer
requirements. The applicable range is
from i = 7.5 to i = 10.
PROTOTYPES AND VALIDATION
Prototype validation is based on three
main phases and is performed on the
stand-alone sub-systems and on the com-
plete system in parallel. This represents a
basic principle for product development
with a number of intermediate optimisa-
tion steps that are an active part of the
design development. The test plan
includes experimental verification as a
means to support the validation of the vir-
tual models that drives the design and
mandatory gates to guarantee the progress
of the product development.
Each prototype phase must prove the
functionality of the system and its capa-
bility to support the life target going
through lubrication performance test, effi-
ciency measurement, fatigue test per-
formed at dyno bench, noise emission
measurement, peak torque test, park lock
performance analysis and under load
deflection analysis. The different proto-
type phases are defined to support in a
“step-by-step” process the validation of
the concepts at the core of the gearbox
design, progressively increasing the matu-
rity of the product and the technical readi-
ness level with reference to the serial pro-
duction manufacturing technology up to
the final product validation.
CONCLUSIONS
Electric drives are setting new challenges
for the developers. Different development
criteria have to be considered, both at
component and at system level, in par-
ticular with regard to the integration activ-
ities. With the EMR3 gearbox Oerlikon
has achieved a compact, light, efficient,
low noise and cost effective single-speed
gearbox for the next generation of battery
electric vehicles.
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
www.autotechreview.com
Your Partner
in the Gear Industry

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A Company of the SWAROVSKI Group

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C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

EFFICIENT TORQUE CONVERTER

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Good figures for efficiency and comfort, a shift performance on par with a premium passenger car: this is the
way how ZF redefines transmission standards in commercial vehicle segments. The Powerline torque converter
automatic transmission sets out to conquer those truck, bus and pick-up segments, where manual and auto-
mated manual transmissions still dominate today.

AUTHORS

DIPL-BETRIEBSW
WINFRIED GRÜNDLER
is Head of the Truck and Van
Driveline Technology Business Unit
in the Commercial Vehicle
Technology Division of ZF
Friedrichshafen AG (Germany).

DIPL-ING HERBERT MOZER

is Head of Transmission
Development in the Truck and Van
Driveline Technology Business Unit
in the Commercial Vehicle
Technology Division of ZF
Friedrichshafen AG (Germany).

DIPL-ING (FH) FRANK SAUTER

is Head of the Automatic
Transmission Design Department
© ZF

in the Commercial Vehicle

Technology Division of ZF
Friedrichshafen AG (Germany).

44 www.autotechreview.com
MARKET SITUATION AND
DEVELOPMENT GOAL
The trend away from classic manual
transmission (MT) systems toward auto-
mated manual transmission (AMT) or
automatic transmission (AT) technologies
continues unabated not only with passen-
ger cars, but also with commercial vehi-
cles. This trend is confirmed by ZF’s own
market analyses, which forecast the fol-
lowing figures for medium-duty trucks in
large market regions through 2025: the
number of AT/AMT transmissions in ser-
vice is set to almost achieve 100 % in
eight years in the NAFTA countries, rele-
gating the manual transmission to pure
niche applications.
Across the EU, the MT share is
expected to fall from currently 60 to
around 10 %. Countries such as China
and Russia, where almost all medi-
um-duty trucks come with a manually
shifted system today, will also account for
an AT/AMT market share of 20 %
through 2025. Globally, this market share
will increase from currently around 20 to
more than 50 %. 1 shows a comparison
of the worldwide market share.
These truck developments are similarly
reflected in other commercial vehicle seg-
NA
82
2015 2025
Legend
AT/DCT BEV/HEV
AMT AMT/AT/DCT
MT
2015 2025
Year
1 Comparison of the worldwide market share of transmission systems in 2015 and 2025 as a percentage (vehicle segment: medium-duty trucks,
ZF internal estimations) (© ZF)
autotechreview A p r il 2 018 Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
ments. In addition to medium-duty
trucks, buses will no longer use manual
transmissions in about eight years’ time.
Within the self-shifting systems, a trend is
emerging that will see far more torque
converter automatic transmissions used in
future – with hybridised versions increas-
ingly among them. Consequently, the per-
centage of automated manual transmis-
sions will fall. One important reason is
the increasing desire for shifts with no
tractive force interruption (AT and Dual-
clutch Transmissions (DCT)).
Hence, the decision was taken by ZF to
develop a new eight-speed torque con-
verter automatic transmission, particu-
larly for the mentioned vehicle segments.
The result is the Powerline [1], which is
unique in this segment both in terms of
technology and the number of gears.
Adoption of a design principle taken from
passenger car systems also means it out-
performs transmissions available to date
in these segments across all key criteria.
The Powerline can reduce fuel con-
sumption by up to 3 % compared with
conventional six-speed AMTs. The trans-
mission is up to 10 % more efficient than
today’s conventional six-speed ATs. Accel-
eration from 0 to 60 km/h is improved by
around 25 % for trucks, 2. The ZF inno-
EU
65
2015 2025
SA
40
2015 2025
2015 2025
Share of automatic and automated transmissions will increase further
The trend goes to "no tractive force interruption" systems (AT or DCT)
vation weighs just 150 kg dry and, as
such, sets new standards in terms of pow-
er-to-weight ratio. Added to which is
excellent drivability as well as support for
wear-free drive-off and manoeuvring via
the torque converter. The wide range of
functionality and upgrade options for
gas-engine and hybrid applications also
future-proof the new transmission.
EIGHT-SPEED GEARSET
DESIGN AS BASIS – PATENTED
TRANSMISSION CONCEPT
Following extensive internal simulations
and design comparisons, the well-known
[2] and patented eight-speed gearset design
of the ZF 8HP based on four planetary
gearsets and five shift elements also
proved best suited to meeting the various
targets associated with the special com-
mercial vehicle requirements, 3.
The tried-and-trusted gearset design
formed the basis for an innovative power-
shift transmission for new applications in
medium-duty trucks, buses and heavy-
duty pick-ups. The aim was to make all
mechanically stressed transmission com-
ponents larger to cater for an input torque
up to 1,400 Nm of stronger engines along
RU
20
JP
2015 2025 40
CN
IN 20
5
2015 2025
2015 2025
45
 C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

Fuel
consumption
Mechanical properties CNG/LNG engine Hybrid Performance with the substantially higher mileage and
ACEA Weight Length Suitability Suitability Acceleration reliability requirements of up to 600,000
regional 18 t km for a truck. In this way, the new Pow-
186 183 785 760
erline transmission, 4, with its high total
7 DCT
6 AMT

6 AMT
Powerline

6 AMT
709
7 DCT

7 DCT
150
spread of 7.65 that reduces fuel consump-

Powerline

7 DCT
6 AMT
Powerline tion offers substantial advantages over

Powerline
5 5 5 rival products.
The transfer components for the new
0
1.6 % 10 % 8% transmission include the 8HP mechatron-
1.5 % –3
2%
ics module; here too the commercial vehi-
18 % cle requirements resulted in modifica-
20 %
25 % tions. The 24 V on-board supply systems
[kg] [mm] used in Europe, Asia and South America
Assessment Assessment [s]
l/100 km with clutch with clutch
w/o oil and PTO
in points in points 0 to 60 km/h in trucks require a corresponding 24 V
Legend
Transmission Control Unit (TCU). The
Reference 6-speed AMT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (7 DCT) Powerline hydraulics module also had to be further
2 Comparison of an AMT and DCT with the Powerline – a new automatic transmission system for midrange developed due to the larger shift elements
commercial vehicles (evaluation of the main criteria) (© ZF) and the all-new torque converter.
A brand new feature is the choice,
depending on usage requirements,
Shift elements
Ratio Phi A B E C D between a vehicle-mounted oil-air trans-
A B C D E
1 X X X 4.889 1.566 03 04 mission cooling system and an oil-water
2 X X X 3.123 1.536 4 7 6
28
6 cooler fitted directly on the Powerline
3 X X X 2.003 1.240 57 15
housing, as has already proven successful
4 X X X 1.639 1.292
6 1 8 2 on the automatic ZF transmission Ecolife
5 X X X 1.268 1.268
6 X X X 1.000 1.205 for usage in buses. Furthermore, the Pow-
3 3 7 5
7 X X X 0.830 1.299 erline transmission can also be upgraded
8 X X X 0.639 7.651 Input Output with power take-offs for tipper hydraulics,
Reverse gear X X X –3.757 –0.760
snow ploughs and spreaders, for instance.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 These PTOs provide up to 650 Nm in sin-
1 0
2 0 gle mode and up to 340 Nm of torque in
3 0 dual mode – if two auxiliaries are con-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 0
5 0 nected in each case.
0
6
To reduce the workload of the vehicle
7 0
8 0 service brake, the transmission also offers
3 Best suited transmission concept – the Powerline eight-speed automatic transmission is based on the 8HP the option of adding an automatic trans-
gearset (© ZF)
mission brake (retarder). The Gross Vehi-
cle Weight (GVW) refers to the vehicle
together with the trailer with maximum
load in each case; this can be up to 36 t
Breather pipe with the Powerline to support particular
applications with trailers. 5 shows possi-
Housing
SAE 2/3 RFOB flange
ble target segments of the Powerline auto-
matic transmission in order to cover medi-
um-duty truck, heavy-duty pick-up and
Output flange
bus applications.

Torque Converter CV ELECTRONICS FROM THE

PASSENGER CAR SECTOR

PTO Speed sensor The TCU with multicore processor built

into the transmission – which in turn pro-
Heat exchanger vides protection – and the standard soft-
Plastic oil pan ware, 6, taken from the passenger car
Transmission cooling ports
sector control the Powerline transmission.
4 Basic design of the Powerline eight-speed automatic transmission for commercial vehicle use with its This automatic transmission uses a shift-
components (© ZF) by-wire concept, thus doing away with

46 www.autotechreview.com
 LCV MD trucks and bus HD trucks sion also supports a hill start assist. The
GVW < 12 t; 350,000 km GVW < 26 t (36 t); 600,000 km GVW < 44 t; 1,000,000 km
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) provides
Medium-duty trucks driver assistance coupled with enhanced
Vehicle segment

Pick-ups
School buses safety. The Powerline transmission also
LCV HD trucks improves safety by helping the Advanced
City buses
Light trucks Emergency Braking System (AEBS).
Heavy-duty pick-ups

ZF 8HP70 LCV
CONCLUSION AND PROSPECTS
ZF 8 AP 600 T
AT

Powerline > 1200 Nm

Thanks to substantial efficiency improve-
ments and performance, combined with a
Ecolife
wide range of functions on par with pre-
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
mium passenger cars, the eight-speed
Torque [Nm]
automatic transmission ZF-Powerline
5 Target segments of the Powerline automatic transmission covering medium-duty truck, heavy-duty pick-up brings a new level of shift quality to the
and bus applications which is based on the 8HP (© ZF) medium-duty truck, bus and heavy-duty
pick-up vehicle segments. From a trans-
mission perspective it also covers all key
Feature Standard Option commercial vehicle-specific applications
and enhancement options.
CAN standard SAE OEM specific
The start of volume production is
Diagnosis (Unified Diagnostic Services (UDS) = ISO stand-
UDS (ZF standard) OEM specific slated for the first quarter of 2020. On this
ard for automotive)
basis, the focus is already on further
Eco and power Off-road, refuse, developments reducing fuel consumption.
Driving programmes/modes
mode towing, …
In tune with this approach, the new trans-
PTO modes (stationary, mobile, dual, …) X mission is designed to be hybrid-capable
Torque Management X from the ground up – due to the synergies
with passenger car applications, an elec-
Neutral Idle Control (NIC) X
tric machine with well in excess of 100
Start/stop function X kW output can thus be easily integrated
into the transmission.
Rolling function X

PreVision GPS X REFERENCES

Support engine brake X

[1] Fuchs, A.: ZF forciert Sicherheit für Nutz-
Hill holder X fahrzeuge. Online: www.springerprofessional.de/
link/10331016, access: 23 March 2017
Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) X [2] Dick, A.; Locher, A.; Kubalczyk, R.: Modular
Kit for Eight-speed Automatic Transmissions. In:
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) X ATZworldwide 117 (2015), No. 7-8, pp. 38-42

6 Powerline transmission software functions – examples of standard and optional features (© ZF)

the need for any mechanical connection stationary, the transmission system opens
and feedback to the transmission operat- a clutch in order to reduce the drag
ing system inside the vehicle. The trans- torque. The result is savings of between 1
mission offers standard features such as and 2 %.
various shift strategies, selectable drive The start/stop function, which uses
modes, CAN communication and diagno- software to connect the TCU and the
sis tools. Familiar functions from passen- engine management, further improves
ger car applications are combined intelli- efficiency. To this end, the transmission
gently with specific solutions for commer- must be able to restore the oil pressure
cial vehicle requirements. very quickly after the engine stops – in
ZF offers an additional fuel-saving the case of the Powerline, this is solved
function in the shape of Neutral Idle Con- via an additional hydraulic accumulator
trol (NIC). Its benefits come into play par- (HIS). In this way, another 5 % of fuel
ticularly with city cycles or in short radius can be saved – depending on the cycle. Read this article on
distribution transport. When the vehicle is To increase convenience, the transmis- www.autotechreview.com

autotechreview A p r il 2 018 Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4 47

C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

SEAMLESS-SHIFT TWO-SPEED
TRANSMISSION WITH TORQUE
VECTORING FUNCTIONALITY
Electric drive axles are a universal building block of vehicle electrification. They can be used for the primary
drive in battery electric vehicles, and for the secondary drive in axle-split hybrids. GKN Driveline used their con-
siderable experience in producing eAxles to develop the
eTwinsterX – a seamless-shifting two-
speed transmission with integrated
e-motor and Twinster technology,
including fully-fledged torque
vectoring functionality.

© GKN

AUTHORS

DIPL-ING THEO GASSMANN DR-ING DIRK GUETH DIPL-ING JAN HAUPT

is VP Advanced Engineering at GKN is Mechatronic System Design is Expert in Drivetrain System and
Driveline in Siegburg (Germany). Expert at GKN Driveline in Siegburg Transmission Technologies at GKN
(Germany). Driveline in Siegburg (Germany).

48 www.autotechreview.com
COST-EFFECTIVE HYBRIDISATION
WITHOUT MAJOR MODIFICATIONS
Specifications and standards for hybrid
drive systems are currently being rede-
fined on an almost daily basis. Reconcil-
ing the need for performance, range and
efficiency led straight to the development
of the electrical drive axle, running “on
the cable” behind a conventional drive
axle. These hybrid concepts are known as
axle-split hybrids. The execution of a
sophisticated, centrally controlled operat-
ing strategy is essential to harmoniously
combine the combustion engine and the
electric drive. Using the axle-split concept,
purely electric propulsion is also possible.
The GKN eAxle can be easily integrated
into existing vehicles, allowing cost-effec-
tive hybridisation without major modifica-
tions to the main drivetrain.
GKN has considerable experience
with this design method, which is cur-
rently used in some plug-in hybrids; the
Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine includes the
axle-split system; the BMW 225xe Active
Tourer shares a similar concept with the
new Mini Countryman Plug-in Hybrid.
The plug-in hybrids BMW 225xe and
Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine have 60 kW
and 70 kW electric motors, respectively,
and a pure-electric driving range of up
to 50 km from a full battery charge. The
maximum pure-electric range is mainly
dependent on battery capacity. This is
an area undergoing improvement in
leaps and bounds, and further increases
can be expected.
OUTSTANDING DRIVING
PERFORMANCE ONLY POSSIBLE
WITH A TWO-SPEED GEARBOX
GKN eAxles offer efficiency from 97 to 98
% and they have been successfully devel-
oped to meet extreme requirements. For
example, the Porsche 918 Spyder features
a 95 kW front eAxle that helps to intelli-
gently and effectively transfer the vehi-
cle’s 652 kW total output to the road. The
challenges were multifaceted: extremely
lightweight design with maximum effi-
ciency, electric motor input speed up to
18,000/min plus automatic disconnect of
the electric motor at 260 km/h. Reward of
these efforts: a lap time of 6.57 min at the
Nürburgring Nordschleife.
autotechreview A p r il 2 018 Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
Almost simultaneously with the Por-
sche 918, the BMW i8 hybrid sports car
was developed. The i8 has a similarly
designed hybrid system with an internal
combustion engine at the rear and an
eAxle at the front. The drivetrain concept,
combining a small, supercharged
three-cylinder rear-mounted engine plus a
125 kW electric drive at the front, pre-
sented the eAxle with completely new
challenges. Delivering outstanding driving
performance in pure electric driving mode
via e-drive up to the top speed of 250
km/h was only made possible with the
help of a two-speed gearbox, the first of
its kind on the market.
Creating the BMW i8’s two-speed
eAxle, a synchronised gear change with
torque interruption – very similar to an
auto shift manual gearbox – was cho-
sen to meet space and efficiency
requirements. To minimise shifting
time, GKN developed a sophisticated
strategy that perfectly harmonises the
electric motor and gearbox controls.
The BMW’s operating strategy has been
optimised to maximise shift comfort.
Featuring both a hybrid powertrain and
the GKN two-speed eAxle, the BMW i8
offers what was previously considered
a contradiction in terms – sports car
driving performance combined with
compact car fuel consumption.
The BMW i8 is leading the trend in
future hybrid vehicles, combining small,
fuel-efficient combustion engines with
increasingly powerful electric motors. Dis-
connecting the e-drive at around 120 to
130 km/h, as is still the standard today
with axle-split hybrids, will become less
and less of an option in the future. Mul-
1 The power shift unit with
shifter clutch (top right),
planetary gear set, and
freewheel unit (top left) are
located on the secondary
shaft (top); the Twinster
system for torque vectoring
is integrated into the final
drive (bottom left) (© GKN)
ti-speed transmissions are gaining impor-
tance in both axle-split hybrids and purely
electric vehicles. This is compounded by
the trend towards high-revving, but some-
what low-torque electric motors.
GKN is breaking new ground with
the eTwinsterX system. The new two-
speed torque-shift transmission, 1,
makes high torque available from start
in first gear as well as with electrical
assistance right up to maximum speed.
The seamless-shift gearbox guarantees
optimal shifting comfort and allows for
the implementation of a dynamic shift-
ing strategy designed for both good
driving performance and best efficiency.
WET CLUTCHES REPLACING
CONVENTIONAL DIFFERENTIAL
The eTwinsterX includes one additional
GKN technology that is currently revolu-
tionising the all-wheel drive market. The
Twinster system has two controlled wet
clutches that completely replace a con-
ventional differential. The individual dis-
tribution of the drive torque by the two
clutches allows for maximum traction. In
addition, torque vectoring also provides
significant improvements in agility and
stability. Torque Vectoring is still a big
trend. There are axle transmissions on
the market for use in premium vehicles
comprising up to 14 gears, plus two con-
trolled clutches. However, this high com-
plexity and the considerable additional
weight have since limited the success of
such torque vectoring axle transmissions
in the market.
The Twinster concept from GKN, when
49
 C O V E R S T O R Y TR ANSMIS SIONS

combined with an e-drive, gives access to agility, stability, and driving dynamics, in
fully-fledged torque vectoring, in addition addition to increasing traction, 2. The
to its diff-locking-, disconnect- and system can be installed as front- or rear-
torque-limiter-functions. The system is axle and fulfil the role of primary or sec-
also capable of significantly improving ondary drive for both EVs and Plug-in
150
Standard eAxle
eTwinsterX
Start of acceleration
Point of max. speed
Inner/outer border
Driving direction
100
Position [m]
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).
Additionally, the Twinster system can
help maximise the energy-recuperation
potential of the corresponding axle. The
e-drive can either drive or brake electri-
cally, which, in connecting with the
Twinster system, also allows torque vec-
toring during both drive and coast. Less
stability control intervention is required
from the braking system, thanks to
wheel-specific torque distribution and
precise control of the electric motor. This
allows every single watt of battery power
to be used for propulsion. During electric
recuperation, the Twinster system even
helps to partially supplement the founda-
tion brake, feeding maximum energy

back into the battery.

Manouvre description on ice circle ETWINSTERX ALLOWS AXLE

50 full acceleration from steady-state cornering
with constant steering wheel angle DRIVE TO BE DESIGNED WITH
NO SHOCK FACTOR

Surface and condition

Packed snow on ice lake
As a rule, conventional axle drives are
-10 °C ambient temperature designed with a so-called shock factor of
2 to 2.5. This results in 3,500 Nm-rated
axle drives requiring a safety margin of
0 up to 8,500 Nm, noticeably driving up
0 50 100 150 weight and costs. The Twinster clutches’
Position [m]
90 precise, high-dynamic control allows to
cut-off the torque peaks in such a way
80 Standard eAxle
Speed [km/h]

eTwinsterX that all components can be designed for

70
nominal torque in all driving situations,
60
saving considerable weight and costs.
50
The resulting downsizing of the trans-
40 mission – despite slight weight increases
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10
Time [s]
in the clutches and actuators – renders a
Twinster system approximately
2 The GKN eTwinsterX transmission also actively contributes to vehicle stabilisation with the e-drive with full
weight-neutral, when compared to a
torque vectoring even during recuperation (© GKN)
standard disconnect e-Axle.
Increasing maximum system effi-
ciency was the principal motivation for
80 % Efficiency [%]
95-93
developing eTwinsterX, alongside
increased functionality and reduced
Sh

93-90
ift

weight. This led to the choice of an

2→

90-85 active lubrication concept and a basic

Torque [Nm]

85-80 layout, designed to minimise splash loss

and reduce the number of rotating and
80-75
95 % slipping components. The eTwinsterX
75-70
incorporates an electrohydraulic clutch
Shift
1→
2
< 70 actuation system that is also responsible
for active gear lubrication. Actively oil-
80 %
ing and de-oiling the Twinster and the
shift-clutches makes it possible to
Engine speed [rpm]
reduce clutch drag-losses in 1st gear as
3 Using a suitable shifting strategy, the best engine efficiency can be achieved during both well as in disconnect coasting mode to
acceleration (shift 2 → 1) and cruising (shift 1 → 2) (© GKN) less than 1 Nm.

50 www.autotechreview.com

5 In 2nd gear, the driving forces flow directly to the differential via the external gears of the interlocked
planetary set and the intermediate shaft; the torque flow corresponds to that of a single step transmission,
with correspondingly high efficiency (© GKN)
TWO-SPEED GEARBOX
ENABLES OPERATION IN
HIGH EFFICIENCY RANGE
Every electric motor has a sweet spot in
its speed band that makes it possible to
convert power and torque at particularly
high efficiency, as shown in 3. Using
multi-speed gearboxes, it is now possible
to operate an electric motor specifically in
its highest efficiency range. ③ shows two
examples of how it is possible to use suit-
able gear selection to shift the operation
of an electric motor into a much higher
efficiency range. 4 shows improvement
beneficial across every individual acceler-
ation process from a standing start. By
virtue of the fact that it is possible to
operate the motor in its sweet spot at
about 96 %, energy demand is reduced
during every acceleration process. 5
applies to the efficiency during open road
cruising. In this case, the advantages
result in improved overall efficiency over
longer periods of time.
autotechreview A p r il 2 018
4 In 1st gear, the planetary set works on the
intermediate shaft as a reduction step, the freewheel
on the left side is interlocked (© GKN)
In GKN’s experience, the use of the
two-speed gearbox makes it possible to
improve the system efficiency of the elec-
tric drive by about 10 % and also sup-
ports electric motor downsizing. The
advantages of using the two-speed trans-
mission are not fully reflected in NEDC
test results, due to its low load profile.
Under real conditions, higher CO2 savings
and increased range are very likely.
In addition to the lubrication concept,
the gearbox architecture is key to the GKN
system’s effectiveness: it shifts into 1st or
2nd gear via a single wet clutch, depend-
ing on the shift position, 6 and 7. The
shifting operation can take place under
load, without disrupting torque transfer,
similar to an automatic or double-clutch
transmission. The second clutch is
replaced by a switchable freewheel sys-
tem on the intermediate shaft, helping
reduce complexity, space requirements,
and drag losses. In 1st gear, ⑥, the clutch
is open. One sun gear in the planetary set
is thereby supported by the blocked free-
Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4
wheel on the housing and the planetary
gearset functions as a reduction step.
When shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, the
clutch closes and the freewheel is
unlocked. Torque flow changes from the
freewheel to the clutch, which blocks the
planetary gear set, ⑦. Thus, the entire
planetary gear set is interlocked and
revolves as a single unit. The driving
torque flows in the long 2nd gear ratio via
the two helical gear stages and the Twin-
ster clutches directly into the drive
wheels. Using this simple design, the
transmission is just as effective in 2nd gear
as a single-speed helical gear.
Overall, eTwinsterX is the first vehicle
drive that can significantly improve both
the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of a
vehicle at the same time. For example, the
eTwinsterX system could be installed as
the dominant drive in the rear of a pre-
mium electric vehicle fitted with an addi-
tional compact eAxle in the front. The
system’s modular design even allows the
individual functions to be combined into
a diverse range of combinations. The two
function blocks, which are the optimised
seamless-shifting two-speed transmission,
as well as the eTwinster system itself, can
also be used separately. Each of the indi-
vidual elements can revolutionise the
development of tailor-made hybrid or BEV
vehicle drives.
REFERENCES
• Brünglinghaus, C.: GKN develops e-axle mod-
ule for the compact class. In: MTZworldwide 77
(2016), No. 6, pp. 33
• Brünglinghaus, C.: Fully integrated electric
drive heading for serial production in 2018. On-
line: www.springerprofessional.de/link/7498340,
access: 4 September 2017
• Gassmann, T.: GKN Two-speed Transmission
Technology for Hybrid and Electric Vehicle. Hand-
out 15th CTI conference, December 2016, Berlin
• Haupt, J.; Güth, D.: The eTwinster - the first
electrical axle system of a new generation. In: CTI-
mag, May 2016
• Hoeck, M.: GKN Twinster – one fits all? Hand-
out 15th CTI conference, December 2016, Berlin
• Steiner, A.: Distributing Torque. In: Automo-
bil-Industrie No. 4/2017
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
51
T E C H N O L O G Y SIMUL ATION

OPTIMISING PASSENGER
VEHICLE DESIGN BY BUILDING
SIMULATION APPS
The Indian automotive industry is growing rapidly, and is one of the largest in the world. Product design for
modern-day automotive manufacturers is an iterative process that requires collaboration between Computer-Aid-
ed Engineering (CAE) analysts, the design team and the suppliers, among others. To maintain a competitive
edge in today’s consumer landscape, automotive manufacturers must make collaboration a top priority. One of
the main challenges for a company like Mahindra is to introduce new vehicles at an accelerated pace, while en-
suring quality, safety and reliability. The team at Mahindra applied COMSOL Multiphysics software in building
simulation apps to accelerate the product design process, and embrace a culture of collaboration.

3 A typical stabiliser bar, or anti-roll bar assembled with the suspension

52 www.autotechreview.com
CHALLENGES FACED DURING THE
PRODUCT DESIGN PHASE

Collaboration can be a time consuming

process that requires different teams to
offer their expertise in a meaningful and
efficient manner. Design engineers
demand a quick evaluation of new con-
cepts, which is sometimes not possible
due to the complexity of the physics
involved, so they must work with the
CAE analysts.
The design lead time can run into a
couple of months for a particular vehicle
component depending upon the number
of back-and-forth iterations required to
finalise the design. Depending on the 1 Structure of a typical utility vehicle chassis
design complexity of the proposal submit-
ted, the CAE analysts can take anywhere
between a week and a month to revert compared to the conventional approach. The load carried by the chassis results
with their observations. in combined bending and torsional loads
Based on the simulation results, the for which no simple analytical solutions
design team makes certain modifications REDUCING THE ITERATIONS IN are available. In the conventional
and again awaits validation of the design CHASSIS CONCEPT GENERATION approach to address this, a few chassis
by the CAE team. These iterations, which AND VERIFICATION designs would be evaluated based on the
are crucial to the safety and reliability of packaging requirements and numerous
the vehicle, continue till a final design is The chassis is an important load-bearing CAE iterations would then be conducted
obtained. In addition, the availability of component of any vehicle that acts as a to finalise the design. Each iteration
resources in various teams can sometimes base for mounting other components such involved three separate analyses: bending
lead to further delays. as the engine and transmission, in addi- stiffness analysis, torsional stiffness analy-
In addition to adopting various meth- tion to providing stiffness to the vehicle. sis and modal analysis. This approach
ods to reduce the time-to-market for their One of the common architectures is a lad- required three to four full CAE iterations,
vehicles, the Methods team at Mahindra der frame with two long side members typically taking two to three weeks per
have explored the Application Builder tool and a number of cross members, 1. The iteration, and multiple smaller iterations.
available in COMSOL Multiphysics to look number, size, position and shape of the Using COMSOL Multiphysics, the team
at various options for the chassis and sta- cross members are important parameters has been able to couple the physics of the
biliser bar designs via simulation apps, in which need to be decided early in the three ‘separate’ analyses and create a sim-
a significantly shorter duration of time design process. ulation app, reducing number of CAE iter-

2(a) The user interface of the chassis app

autotechreview A p r il 2 018 Vo lum e 7 | I s su e 4 53

T E C H N O L O G Y SIMUL ATION
ations to arrive at the final design. The
simulation app for the chassis design, as
seen in 2(a) features a 1D beam model
based on the Timoshenko beam theory,
which results in a runtime of seconds
even for a complicated chassis design
with various cross sections and members.
Both torsional as well as bending stiffness
are computed. The beam analysis pro-
vides fast and reliable results for a wide
range of configurations.
②(b) shows the results obtained from
the chassis app for a particular configura-
tion. The simulation app offers the con-
venience of evaluating various design
4(a) The user interface of the stabiliser bar app
54
parameters through simple text fields
rather than creating a CAD model for each
configuration, which is a time saver for
the team as well.
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR
DESIGNING THE STABILISER BAR
Another critical component of suspension
used to limit the roll of a vehicle is the
stabiliser bar, 3. The design is typically
either a hollow or solid beam with multi-
ple bends in 3D space. To accurately
model the deflections and stresses in such
2(b) The results obtained
from the chassis app for a
particular configuration
a component, the design team must col-
laborate with the CAE analysts, or request
validation from their suppliers, to ensure
the appropriate stiffness and stress levels
are met. To speed up the design verifica-
tion process, the Mahindra team first cre-
ated a model of the anti-roll bar in COM-
SOL. After validation studies were com-
pleted on the model, an application has
been created.
The simulation app of the stabiliser bar
can accommodate a large variety of
design iterations with up to 15 bends,
with the option of exploring a hollow or
solid bar designs 4(a). The end user, typ-
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T E C H N O L O G Y SIMUL ATION
ically a member of the suspension design
team, enters the coordinates of the bends
to represent the geometry of the stabiliser
bar and provides details of bearing loca-
tion, bushing stiffness and cross section.
The CAE analyst pre-defined the con-
straints within the app, making it simple
and quick for the designer to get the stiff-
ness of the stabiliser bar and the stresses
for standard load cases. The typical run
time of the application is in minutes,
empowering the design team to run
plenty of iterations and get immediate
feedback on their designs. ④(b) shows
the app results for a particular setup.
Knowing that the simulation app is
based on the validated multiphysics
model, the design team is confident in
the results without requiring additional
training in simulation. The team at
Mahindra has found that the apps result
in significant time saved, and the results
are in good agreement with the suppli-
er’s reports. Additionally, the new cul-
ture of collaboration has fostered a
greater sense of ownership of the end
product as the design can be generated
in one or two days, reducing the
dependency on the supplier.
56
APPS AND THE ROAD AHEAD
The uniqueness of these applications lies
in their ability to handle not only a wide
range of parametric variations but also in
the physics and boundary conditions.
This enabled the designers to explore vari-
ous design options early into the product
development phase, without the need to
rely on the CAE analysts for each itera-
tion, or obtain additional training in
numerical modelling. The results of the
parametric studies are presented as design
guidelines, enabling efficient and cost-ef-
fective products.
The simulation apps were developed
based on detailed discussions with the
CAE analysts before being deployed
across various teams at Mahindra via the
COMSOL Server ™. Complex design con-
figurations, that were previously under
the guard of the CAE analysts, have now
become accessible to the designers in a
convenient and easy-to-use platform.
The multiphysics capabilities of COMSOL
are also enabling Mahindra to expand
their analysis capabilities into diverse
domains such as vibro-acoustics and
thermo-structural simulations for concept
4(b) The results obtained from the
stabiliser bar app for a particular configuration
design verification. The ability of the
software to combine 1D and 3D analysis,
auto-meshing capabilities, and numerous
in-built physics equations and boundary
conditions allow a wide variety of prob-
lems to be solved with a simple, interac-
tive user interface.
CONCLUSION
The past couple of decades have seen sev-
eral foreign auto giants enter the market.
As more and more auto makers continue
to invest in the Indian market each year,
their indigenous counterparts need to
employ innovative techniques to stay
ahead of the pack. Mahindra is pioneering
this effort with the use of apps in their
design process.
(This is a user study jointly authored by
COMSOL and Mahindra)
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
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E V E N T 10 t h A U TO M OT I V E R & D T R E N D S C O N F E R E N C E

FOCUSING ON R&D TRENDS FOR

CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
The 10th Automotive R&D Trends confer-
ence was recently held in Chennai.
Themed “Redefine R&D: Regulatory
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conference was jointly organised by the
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and the Tamil Nadu Technology Develop-
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and sustainable future mobility.
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and Vikram Kirloskar, Conference Chair-
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man, Toyota Kirloskar Motor. Other inau- nent makers. development. The speakers also high-
gural speakers included Gautam Dutta, The session dwelt on how Industrial lighted understanding the R&D phase in
Senior Director, Siemens Industry Soft- IoT & Industry 4.0, smart infrastructure the domestic and global arena, which
ware India; Harish Lakshman, Vice Chair- integration, connected supply chain, would help plan for future developments.
man, Rane Group; Dr S S V Ramakumar, improved manufacturing, data security & The eminent speakers also talked about
Board Member & Director (R&D), Indian protection, predictive maintenance, and the importance of automation not only in
Oil Corporation Limited; and Philip Dali- connected infrastructure would help in the development phase, but also in
dakis, Minister for Trade and Investment, the evolution of the automotive industry. manufacturing.
Innovation, and Digital Economy and The session also shed light on additive The conference was a congregation of
Small Business, State Government of Vic- manufacturing and related areas for companies and experts considered tech-
toria, Australia. advanced composite materials, high pro- nology and innovation leaders in their
The conference featured a number of ductivity, 3D printing and wire arc addi- respective fields of the automotive indus-
plenary sessions on various R&D-related tive manufacturing process. try. These industry experts provided the
topics such as green mobility, growing The Automotive R&D Trends 2018 con- attendees with a range of solutions that
competition & new regulations, automo- ference served as a platform for stake- could be considered for developing prod-
tive industry evolution & digital transfor- holders from the automotive and allied ucts for the future of mobility. Cleaner,
mation, additive manufacturing, & poten- industrial sectors to share their views on greener and less-polluting mobility is the
tial growth opportunities and challenges Indian and global automotive regulations. requirement of the future, and regulations
for OEMs. The focus areas around the It brought together these stakeholders to are also heading in the same direction.
future of vehicles were for clean energy, help develop a systematic approach to The Automotive R&D Trends 2018 pro-
environmental impact, battery manage- make R&D aid in meeting legislation, as vided ideas and discussions on carrying
ment systems and hybrid vehicles. Simi- well as support government agencies in out appropriate R&D to achieve the target
larly, newer technologies, capacity con- framing an effective R&D policy. of future mobility while keeping with up
straints, vehicular safety standards & reg- The speakers discussed the various regulatory requirements.
ulations, BS-V & VI, foreign trade policy R&D challenges. The speakers also put
and free trade agreements were the big forth ideas that could help stakeholders
talking points of the conference for the face these challenges, with technology Read this article on
growth of auto makers and auto compo- adoption as well as process changes of www.autotechreview.com

58 www.autotechreview.com
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E V E N T C ONNECTED V EHICL ES 2 018
DELIBERATING ON FUTURE
MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
The future of mobility is poised to walk
down the connected and autonomous
paths, with infotainment and safety sys-
tems being important parts of this future.
Data security and related security features
will be of paramount importance in the
development of all these systems for
upcoming transportation technologies. In
line with this, NASSCOM Centre of Excel-
lence–IoT together with Telematics Wire
jointly organised a conference on Con-
nected Vehicles in Bangalore.
The speakers at the conference threw light on the current
industry trends in connected fleet telematics
60
The conference dwelt at length on con-
nected cars and related innovations,
driven by data. The focus on in-vehicle
infotainment is to provide a personalised
user experience. Smart mobility as well as
the impact of IoT on the automotive and
mobility were the focus areas at the Con-
nected Vehicles conference. The Con-
nected Vehicles 2018 offered insights into
building cyber security standards and best
practices as well as mapping technologies
and traffic data for transportation.
The speakers threw light on the
current industry trends in con-
nected fleet telematics, enhancing
the customer relationship through
telematics, consumer electronics
for connected vehicles, and sus-
tainable business models. The con-
ference witnessed four panel dis-
cussions on topics such as Con-
nected Vehicles: Driven by
Innovation; Connected Fleet Telem-
atics; the reality of ADAS and
autonomous driving in India; and
the IoT’s impact on automotive
and mobility industries.
The conference attracted professionals
from automotive OEMs, component mak-
ers, engineering service providers and
auto ancillary companies. The opening
inaugural session witnessed a congrega-
tion of automotive industry experts as
well as from the government. One of the
highlights of the conference was a CEO
Roundtable where CEOs of Automotive,
IT, Tier 1 and TSP deliberated on the sus-
tainable business model of connected
vehicles
The speakers at the conference not
only represented various segments of the
automotive industry but also covered seg-
ments from two-wheelers, right up to
commercial vehicles. Other speakers com-
prised those from government bodies
(working in the area of transportation) as
well as engineering service providers. The
event also witnessed exhibits and demon-
strations from a number of companies
that provide solutions pertaining to future
connected mobility.
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
www.autotechreview.com
 www.autotechreview.com March 2018 | Volume 7 | Issue 3

NOW, ALSO
14 GUEST COMMENTARY AVAILABLE ON
Importance of Taking Robotics
Automation To The Last Tier It’s on

16 INTERVIEW
Ravi Pandit, Co-founder,
Chairman and Group CEO,
KPIT Technologies Ltd

68 NEW VEHICLE
TVS Achieves Many ‘Firsts’ With
NTORQ 125 Automatic Scooter

AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS —

LEADING MOBILITY INTO THE FUTURE POWERED BY

EACH

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V E H I C L E C U TAW AY S HYUNDAI VERNA

WHO SUPPLIES WHAT TO THE

HYUNDAI VERNA
DRIVETRAIN

Brake Pad Fuel Bundles

KB AUTOSYS TI AUTOMOTIVE

Fluid Tubing AC Hose/Tube

DELFINGEN HANON SYSTEMS

Torque Rods Parts for Shift System &

VIBRACOUSTIC Synchronization
SCHAEFFLER
Brake Bundles
TI AUTOMOTIVE

EXTERIOR CHASSIS
Classic Sunroof Roller Tappets
WEBASTO SCHAEFFLER

Headliner Substrate Gearbox Mounts

GRUPO ANTOLIN VIBRACOUSTIC

Power Mirror Actuator HVAC- FLap Actuator

INTEVA PRODUCTS DOOWON

Transmission Bearings
SCHAEFFLER

62 www.autotechreview.com
 ELECTRIC/ELECTRONICS
Valve Cam Timing AC Compressor
DENSO DOOWON

Oil Flow Control Valve 4 Speed Suction filter

DENSO FILTRAN

Air Quality [1.4l & 1.6l Gasoline AC Accumulator

Engine] DOOWON
FAURECIA
AC Condensor/Drier
AC Evaporator DOOWON
DOOWON
Cable Bundling & Fixing Elements
Hydromounts HELLERMANNTYTON
VIBRACOUSTIC

INTERIOR
HVAC Module
DOOWON

Airbag Module
HYUNDAI MOBIS

Seat Belt Reminder

IEE

HVAC- Control Panel

DONG-AH

Acoustic Performance
FAURECIA

Central Body Control Module

HYUNDAI MOBIS

HVAC- Blower Speed Control

VISTEON
Source: Hyundai

Illustration By: Bhavna Mahajan

Suppliers wanted: If you are a supplier and have questions or want your
information considered for our cutaway features, contact James Clark at
automotivenews@supplierbusiness.com or visit www.supplierbusiness.com

autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4 63

SHOPFLOOR LUMAX INDUSTRIES

64 www.autotechreview.com
FOCUSING ON FACILITATING
FASTER LED ADOPTION
The LED lighting market has grown significantly over the last few years and is expected to witness rapid technol-
ogy adoption. Lumax Industries Ltd has substantially contributed to this growth trajectory. We recently got an op-
portunity to visit the company’s Bawal plant in Haryana to understand the production of lighting modules as well
as the various advancements currently undertaken at the facility.

Lumax operates nine manufacturing
plants across India. Three of its plants are
located in the cities of Gurgaon,
Dharuhera and Bawal in Haryana, two in
Pune, two in Uttarakhand (Pantnagar and
Haridwar), one in Sanand in Gujarat and
one in Bidadi in Karnataka. Nine of the
Group’s 24 manufacturing locations are
solely earmarked for the lighting space.
The Bawal facility is one of the dedi-
cated units catering to the lighting divi-
sion and has an 80 % capacity utilisation
with annual capacity touching seven mil-
lion units per annum. The plant has over
2,100 skilled and specialised employees.
The Lumax Group has invested around Rs
70-75 crore at its Bawal plant, which is
one of its largest production sites globally.
INNOVATIONS UNDERWAY
jector lamps and adaptive front lighting
(AFS) systems. In line with this strategy,
Lumax established an in-house R&D
structure to cater to its northern and west-
ern region customers.
The Bawal plant has been developing
projector lamps as part of front lighting
for the four-wheeler market and is also
mulling a similar solution for two-
wheeler applications. Projector lamps
will leverage a new technology for the
Indian market, wherein light is projected
through a reflector and a glass prism,
thus providing a more concentrated focus
with a higher styling intent. The com-
pany has been working on adaptive front
lighting systems and intends to launch
them when the customer is ready to
embrace this innovation.
Lighting as a product category has
become highly performance-oriented with
the focus revolving around aesthetics and
styling as compared to the earlier lighting
systems that concentrated only on perfor-
mance. This has necessitated Lumax to
engage with OEMs from the development
stage of the vehicle. The company has a
presence in both interior and exterior
lighting systems including headlamps, tail
lamps and top lamps.
Lighting modules evolve every five or
six years with lighting products undergo-
ing a change from sheet metal glass to
plastics, and are now shifting to plastics
plus electronics. The Bawal facility incor-
porates the use of hi-tech electronic tech-
nologies involved in LEDs and projector
systems. The enhanced integration of
lighting with vehicle body systems has
ensured that sensors are utilised with

Lumax’s Bawal plant specialises in the

production of automotive lighting for
major OEMs. The company through this
plant, has emerged as a full-capability
supplier of high quality automotive light-
ing solutions for four-wheeler and two-
wheeler applications, serving automobile
manufacturing in India as well as across
global locations. Lumax initially com-
menced operations with the production of
halogen lamps, but subsequently shifted
focus towards the LED technology given
the growing demand for LEDs across
product segments.
Over the years, the company has been
beefing up its design and development
capabilities as well as its manufacturing
expertise in the areas of LED lighting, pro- The facility has an 80 % capacity utilisation producing seven million units annually

autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4 65

SHOPFLOOR LUMAX INDUSTRIES
minor changes every two or three years
along with vehicle facelifts.
This has necessitated the need for
Lumax to build capabilities of integrating
electronics into the lighting system
through the development of printed cir-
cuit board capability, as well as manufac-
turing and integrating LED products into
the lighting space. A key challenge of
Lumax has been beefing up its design and development capabilities and its manufacturing expertise for LEDs,
projector lamps and AFS systems
25 % of production at Bawal is for LEDs but the company expects this number to grow soon
66
high-grade aesthetic products remains the
surface treatment in lighting processes
that is becoming more stringent. In order
to address this, Lumax sources futuristic
technologies through its global partner-
ships and collates OEM requirements
through technology shows for its custom-
ers. Thereafter, the company co-develops
products with customers for the Indian
market with localised R&D for creating
optimum value for OEMs.
LED PRODUCTION
Lumax has been making the most of the
various technological advancements wit-
nessed in the automotive sector and has
been increasing the integration of lighting
products into vehicle styling, which pro-
vides wider opportunities for product
development. Embedding the latest tech-
nology in automotive lighting, the com-
pany has been fast replacing the tradi-
tional incandescent and halogen lamps
with LED lighting modules. The design
versatility offered by LEDs also warrants
investments in this domain.
The LED lighting system currently
represents around 25 % of Lumax’s pro-
duction mix at Bawal, but the company
expects to see an exponential growth in
demand in the coming years. Among the
various advancements witnessed over
the years, LED lights are more energy-
efficient and also more durable. The
company sees a gradual streamlining of
its manufacturing processes given the
growing demand and economies of scale.
Lumax expects the Automatic Headlamp
On (AHO) and Daytime Running Lights
(DRL) regulations on two and four-
wheelers to boost adoption of LEDs
because of safety standards.
As per global trends and given the
growing interest of domestic players in
LEDs, the share of LED-based products is
expected to increase to 40-50 % of the
total revenues by 2020 for Lumax. The
LED market is currently less than 5 % in
India. However, going forward, it will
reach 30% for two-wheelers and 25 % for
four-wheelers by 2020. The Bawal facility
is geared up to incorporate additional
lines, if demand warrants. Lumax is also
upbeat about the advent of EVs, which is
expected to boost rapid adoption of LEDs.
Globally, the LED pricing is coming down
and the domestic market may look to
adopt the same after 2020-21.
The technology trends have been
showing an inclination towards LEDs in
rear lamps and interior lights, while front
and exterior lighting including headlamps
or fog lamps primarily rely on projector
lighting. High intensity discharge lighting
has still not come to India due to its cost-
www.autotechreview.com
effectiveness but if a customer requires it,
Lumax is ready to provide such a solution
through its partner, Stanley Electric Cor-
poration of Japan.

R&D INITIATIVES

Lumax undertakes a significant amount of

innovation and R&D at this facility to offer
its customers the best quality at afforda-
ble prices. A lot of R&D focus has been on
complying with the safety norms. All two-
wheelers today come equipped with the
AHO feature, which adds to the safety
quotient. Another parallel requirement is
the focus on lesser energy consumption Lumax has been focusing on the aesthetics of lighting modules for a more innovative customer experience
and improved aesthetic for LED lamps as
mandated by OEMs.
Lumax’s Bawal and Haridwar plants
had recently participated for the first time
in the International Convention on Qual-
ity Control Circles held in Philippines, and
both its plants won gold awards. The cost-
control programmes and enhancing oper-
ating efficiencies are top priorities at
Lumax, apart from total productive main-
tenance (TPM).
Lumax has emerged as the preferred
supplier for most OEMs for lighting and
its R&D efforts are a step towards main-
taining this position. Automotive light-
ing has undergone a transformation The Bawal plant participated in the International Convention on Quality Control Circles in Philippines and won
over the last few years from a functional a gold award
product to a styling product for all vehi-
cles and automobiles.
The plant has been ramping up its be carried out in a phased manner and ing, prototyping and product develop-
focus on the aesthetics of lighting mod- Lumax would be closely looking into the ment. In order to maintain its leadership
ules due to OEMs preferring more innova- bottlenecks. A typical halogen headlight position, the company’s Bawal plant
tive headlamp and tail lamp designs. uses 55 watts of power to produce 350 undertakes sustained efforts to achieve
Being a key differentiating factor for a lumens of light, whereas the LED-head- ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’, product innova-
vehicle, the plastic injection moulded light system uses about 17 watts only, tions and filing patents to maintain its
parts for the lighting assembly use numer- which is a compelling reason for both competitive edge over its peers. Hence,
ous different moulds in order to achieve OEMs and component makers to jump on with these indigenous operations, the
the desired results. Lumax used both the LED bandwagon. company plans to keep introducing new
domestic and imported injection mould- The capacity ramp-up by Indian OEMs technologies in India as well as enable
ing machines for this purpose. and the enthusiasm shown by interna- OEMs to optimise costs and get faster
tional automotive giants to turn India into delivery of products.
a global manufacturing hub is expected to
THE ROAD AHEAD benefit the auto ancillary industry as a
whole. Overall, the sector is placed TEXT: Anwesh Koley
Going forward, the advent of EVs is favourably as macroeconomic factors and PHOTO: Anwesh Koley/ Lumax
expected to significantly boost LED adop- consumer sentiment continue to remain
tion and thereby bolster the company’s in favour of large players like Lumax.
margins. Lumax aims to take advantage Lumax intends to continue focusing on
of this technology transition by being providing high levels of technology,
early adopters of advanced LED manufac- benchmarking processes as per interna- Read this article on
turing techniques. This transition would tional standards and undertaking design- www.autotechreview.com

autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4 67

N E W V E H I C L E TVS MOTOR

TVS INFUSES RACING DNA DEEPER

INTO NEW APACHE RTR 160 4V
It’s been a hectic few months for TVS Motor Company with a slew of launches since December 2017, starting
with the roll-out of its first supersport premium motorcycle – the Apache RR 310. The company subsequently
launched two new variants of the Apache RTR 200 4V as well as its first 125 cc scooter – the NTORQ 125.
Maintaining the ‘launch’ momentum, the Indian two-wheeler manufacturer recently rolled out its newest model
in the naked premium motorcycle segment, the Apache RTR 160 4V. We bring you a first ride report.

68 www.autotechreview.com
 INTRODUCTION
Ever since the launch of the Apache RTR
series, the company has focused on
building motorcycles that are perfor-
mance-oriented combined with practical
usability. TVS Racing has invested a con-
siderable amount of time in the develop-
ment of the Apache RTR 160 4V, with
regards to the engine, suspension, brak-
ing and even some level of styling. TVS
has launched the Apache RTR 160 4V
motorcycle in three variants – carburettor
& front disc; carburettor with front & rear
discs and electronic fuel injection (EFI)
with front & rear discs. The EFI variant
of the motorcycle is called Apache RTR
160 Fi 4V.
We had an opportunity to ride the
TVS Apache RTR 160 4V at the compa-
ny’s test track in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, and
bring you a lowdown on all the features
of this new Apache RTR entry-level pre-
mium motorcycle.
DESIGN
The new TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is
born of the company’s six-time Indian
National Motorcycle Racing Champion-
ship (INMRC) winning motorcycle, the
Group B RTR 165. Design-wise, this
motorcycle is also based on the Draken
Concept that was showcased at the 2014
Auto Expo. This results in the Apache
RTR 160 4V having an identical design
language to that of the first Apache RTR
motorcycle to feature the Draken Con-
cept-based design cue, the 200 4V.
The Apache RTR 160 4V features a
forward- biased design, with all the
design elements identical from the front
mudguard, headlight unit, fuel tank and
side shields. The differentiation in
design is seen in the form of six-spoke
alloy wheels, grey front suspension legs,
single handle bar, single seat, silver col-
our side shields and newly-designed
panelling around the rear seat. It would
be difficult to differentiate the RTR 160
4V from its eldest sibling at a glance,
but that works more in favour of the
motorcycle as the overall design is a
strong one to begin with.
The best part about all these similari-
ties is that the build quality along with
the components found on the Apache
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
RTR 160 4V remains top-notch. The qual-
ity of switches as well as other plastics
across the body of the motorcycle is on
the upper side. The switch gear is also
ergonomically-placed like that of the
overall design related to seating. This
motorcycle, while having a design that is
focused on the front, still provides a
good seating position that is balanced for
different types of riding conditions. The
single seat along with the single bar han-
dle seems to be the reasons for the less
aggressive seating position, which is apt
for riders and pillions of pretty much all
sizes. The strong build quality and rigid
frame also removes vibrations in the
motorcycle across engine speeds, ensur-
ing a comfortable and less stressful ride
even on the track.
In continuation to the Draken design
language, the motorcycle features twin
pipe and twin barrel design, which is a
bit of a disappointment, since it doesn’t
provide the growl its 200 cc sibling does.
In addition, the exhaust note dies down
further to a more shrill tone as the
motorcycle is put through higher engine
revs. Additionally, the silver colouring on
the side panels, which differentiate it
from the 200 due to their all-black
scheme, does not gel with the overall
look of the Apache RTR 160 4V. It is too
much of a contrast to the overall colour
theme of the motorcycle. However, these
are the only negatives we could pick out
in this otherwise well-built machine.
DRIVETRAIN
The Apache RTR 160 4 V is powered by
a newly-developed 159.7 cc, single-cyl-
inder, four-valve, single overhead cam,
oil-cooled combustion chamber (O3C)
engine, in both carburettor and EFI iter-
ations. The engine delivers a maximum
power of about 16.3 hp for the carburet-
tor variant and about 16.6 hp for the EFI
version, both at 8,000 rpm. Both
engines develop a peak torque of 14.8
Nm at 6,500 rpm.
With these power output figures, TVS
claims the Apache RTR 160 4V is the
most powerful 160 cc motorcycle in the
country. This fact, combined with power-
to-weight ratios of 0.0843 kW/kg and
0.0849 kW/kg for the EFI and carburettor
versions, respectively, help the motorcy-
69
N E W V E H I C L E TVS MOTOR
The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V has been upgraded with features that take it a level higher than its predecessor
cle reach claimed top speeds of 114 km/h
and 113 km/h. It is pertinent to mention
that these figures are not just claims, but
are achievable by the Apache RTR 160
4V, as we came close to achieving these
speeds during our ride.
The cooling system of the motorcy-
cle’s engine consists of an oil cooler,
with additional ram air assist. The
motorcycle features an additional air
duct enclosed in the fuel tank panel,
which guides the air towards the low-
friction cylinder head, resulting in
improved engine cooling. This leads to
refined performance of the engine with a
high level of durability. The company’s
patented O3C technology together with
the ram air assist reduces the engine heat
map by 10° C. On our relatively-short
ride of the Apache RTR 160 4V, heating
Equipment, switchgear and build quality are at the top of the list of the motorcycle
70
was not at all in the picture, which effec-
tively means the cooling system was
working as engineered.
The EFI unit in the motorcycle is a
closed-loop system from Bosch, which is
controlled by a 16-bit microprocessor.
The system consists of a manifold abso-
lute pressure sensor (TMAP), tempera-
ture sensor, throttle position sensor and
oxygen sensor. The high-pressure, twin-
spray fuel injector supplies fuel just
behind the valves for better atomisation,
leading to higher combustion efficiency.
This twin-spray fuel injector, coupled
with the position of the fuel supply
ensures faster engine response and mini-
mal emissions.
The engine is mated to a five-speed
transmission, which offers precise shift-
ing up and down the gears, enhancing
the riding experience. The gears slot into
place precisely even while riding hard,
but with a clunk that sometimes sounds
like something is amiss. The transmis-
sion, after numerous hot laps on the test
track, continued to perform to the best of
its capacity without breaking a sweat.
The wet multi-plate clutch is also light
enough, and smoothly slots into gears
when ridden in a more docile manner.
This gearbox and clutch combination
leads one to believe that the motorcycle
would be easy to use in stop-and-go city
traffic conditions.
CHASSIS & SUSPENSION
The RTR 160 4V features the company’s
patented Double Cradle Split Synchro
Stiff frame, which is very similar to the
one found on its elder 200 cc sibling.
This frame remains identical except for
minor tweaks, and offers 58 % more lat-
eral stiffness and 22 % extra torsional
stiffness than the previous generation
RTR 160. It must be noted that like the
previous iteration, as well as like the
Apache RTR 200 4V, this motorcycle also
offers a very mature and planted ride.
This gives the rider the ability to change
from one direction to another easily and
precisely, while entering corners at high
speeds. These characteristics not only
translate into good track performance,
but also prove to be safe while commut-
www.autotechreview.com
ing in cities replete with obstructions.
The suspension set-up on the motor-
cycle consists of telescopic forks upfront,
with a monoshock at the rear. The rear
monoshock suspension with a monotube
floating piston shock absorber has been
developed in collaboration with SHOWA,
Japan, in addition to being engineered
and precision-tuned with inputs provided
by the TVS Racing riders. The rear sus-
pension has been tuned for compression
and rebound damping to achieve desira-
ble response, in addition to track bal-
ance. While the suspension is firm
enough to carry into corners on a track
at decent speeds without any hassles, the
set-up is not so aggressive that it can
attack every corner at its peak speeds.
This level of tune provides enough
damping and compression to soak up
small bumps and cruise over light pot-
holes without any problem. Therefore,
the suspension on the motorcycle seems
to have been tuned optimally to provide
a balance between track performance
and daily road usage. This overall sus-
pension set-up of the Apache RTR 160
4V is similar to that of its older siblings,
in the sense that they are well balanced
to offer comfort for everyday use, along
with firmness to take to the track on
weekends. However, since our ride was
limited to the track and a few other path-
ways inside the factory, a true perfor-
mance on various city roads can be com-
mented on after a full review.
SAFETY & ELECTRONICS
The Apache RTR 160 4V is available with
roto petal disc brakes front and rear in
both the carburettor and EFI variants,
with the front featuring a 270 mm disc.
The rear disc is of 200 mm, while the
rear drum brake carburettor version
comes with a 130 mm drum. All three
variants come with 17-inch alloy wheels
at both ends, with 90/90 49P tubeless
tyres on the front wheel. While the rear
disc variant is equipped with 130/70
M/C 62P tubeless tyres, the rear drum
version is offered with 110/80 57P tube-
less tyres. The tyres on the motorcycles
we rode were from TVS Tyres.
It must be noted that the brakes on
the dual disc variants (which were what
we rode) provides tremendous stopping
autotechreview A pr il 2 0 1 8 Volu m e 7 | Issu e 4
offering excellent levels of grip. There-
fore, the combination of these brakes and
tyres resulted in confident riding, with
braking being pushed late into corners,
followed by carrying higher speeds than
expected around the corners.
The Apache RTR 160 4V comes
equipped with the same full digital
speedometer console that is offered in
the 200 4V. It indicates information such
as engine speed, vehicle speed, trips, fuel
level, time, service reminder, low battery,
0-60 km/h time taken, highest speed and
lap timer. It has the generic warning
lights for low fuel level, ABS, engine high
beam and indicators, along with buttons
on either ends to change modes and
reset those modes. Also present is the
gear shift indicator at the top right of the
console that throws a bright red light
when the rev limit is being reached. This
digital meter has worked well on the
Apache RTR 200 4V, and continues to do
so for its younger sibling.
ROUND-UP
TVS has launched the Apache RTR 160
4V, with the base carburettor and front
disc version being priced at ` 81,490,
ex-showroom Delhi. The dual disc ver-
sions of the carburettor and EFI models
have been priced at ` 84,490 and
` 89,990 respectively. We experienced
from the ride that the Apache RTR 160
4V is a conglomeration of technology
and engineering that has been packaged
into a well-built product. It comes across
as a motorcycle that would be good for
daily city commute during the week, fol-
lowed by a visit to the race track over the
weekend. The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V
has this inherent characteristic of being a
dual-purpose machine that has been fur-
ther enhanced with the expertise brought
in from TVS Racing and the INMRC-win-
ning Group B RTR 165.
A majority of the bits and components on the
motorcycle are carried over from its elder sibling, the
Apache RTR 200 4V
TEXT: Naveen Arul
PHOTO: Naveen Arul & TVS
power that could be put down with ease.
In addition, the tyres seemed to be engi-
neered precisely towards enhancing the Read this article on
riding performance of the motorcycle, www.autotechreview.com
71
DECODING TECHNOLOGY
TRANSMITTING MORE
THAN TORQUE
Transmissions are major enablers and
candidates for reducing carbon footprint,
improving vehicle fuel economy, reducing
total cost of ownership and enhancing the
driving experience.
The evolution of transmissions in the
early days of mobility was more focused
on higher efficiency in transmitting
power from the engine as torque to the
wheels with a good drive and shifting
feel for the occupants. As that phase pro-
gressed, cost and light weighting became
the new focus areas for developers. With
the advent of hybrids and alternate
mobility powertrains, the seamless inte-
gration of an electric motor inside the
powertrain assembly became a priority
and a necessity due to vehicle packaging
constraints and the costs associated to
modify body-in-white along with associ-
ated components. This sandwiched
motor between the engine and transmis-
sion introduced new challenges of pow-
ertrain dynamics, thermal management,
longevity, robustness and serviceability
of the powertrain. It also introduced a
new dimension of reliability in torque
delivery on driver demand. In parallel, at
72
this time, compactness and light weight-
ing were also top attributes of focus.
Over the years, to ensure a better driv-
ing experience, and with advancing
engine technologies, vehicle options and
driver demands, transmissions were
developed in different architectures –
manual, automatic, semi-automatic, elec-
tric, hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, direct
shift gearboxes with dual-clutch and con-
tinuous variable transmissions. These
have been integrated in the vehicle based
on market needs, engine configurations
and costs. Due to the huge costs in devel-
opment and integration of a transmission,
the designers utilise the opportunity to
optimise transmission behaviour during
calibration, shift scheduling, sensing &
actuation, and the electronics in conjunc-
tion with controls.
With the evolution of transmission
architectures, the regulations and norms
in different parts of the world, vehicle
styling and characteristics were changing
too. The focus gradually shifted to trans-
missions being the enablers for other
attributes in the vehicle such as end of
life, lifecycle and environment aspects.
DR ARUN JAURA
European Advisory Committee,
SAE International, USA
It was obvious that a transmission
with high efficiency, lower frictional &
thermal losses, and lesser weight contrib-
utes majorly to the fuel efficiency of the
vehicle and a cleaner tail pipe in vehicles.
The transmission architecture along with
the controls strategy, can decide the shift
behaviour and torque required from the
engine. It is, in turn, dependent on driver
demand and driving behaviour.
In the global outreach and markets,
the powertrain and vehicles are expected
to be interchangeable not only due to
norms and regulations but also due to the
driving conditions and the local ecosys-
tem of traffic patterns. These aspects
severely affect the functionality of vehi-
cles, impacting fuel economy and emis-
sions. In addition, the effect on end of life
of vehicle significantly differs in different
operating environments.
Innovative as well as conventional
strategies have been used for thermal
management, compacting, reduction of
hardware & weight, gear layouts, the com-
position of lubricants & lubrication lay-
outs, newer technologies for different
types of transmissions, the sensor tech-
nologies, networking and control strate-
gies. Many of the technological features
have become a standard in the new age
vehicles due to competition and consumer
demand. Even techniques for grinding of
gears, hobbing as well as other manufac-
turing processes have come a long way as
they impact the sustainable life, heat gen-
eration and noise in transmissions.
The transmissions are not merely sub-
systems that transmit torque to the
wheels. They are the key lever to a long-
term reliable driving experience and sus-
tainable mobility. Transmissions provide
the competitive edge to automotive manu-
facturers globally.
Read this article on
www.autotechreview.com
www.autotechreview.com
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How noisy is this gearbox design?

Visualization of the noise pressure level

outside the gearbox and vibration-
induced von Mises stress in its housing.

Building quieter transmission systems starts with designing

quieter gearboxes. Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH)
testing is an important part of the process, but you are not
limited to conducting physical experiments. To improve
gearbox designs well before the production stage, you can
perform vibroacoustic analyses using simulation software.
The COMSOL Multiphysics® software is used for simulating
designs, devices, and processes in all fields of engineering,
manufacturing, and scientific research. See how you can apply
it to modeling gearbox vibration and noise.
comsol.blog/NVH-simulation