Japanese Сar Makers Join Forces to Develop a New Transmission Technology

As the car business gains momentum all over the world, car manufacturers try to find new ways to win in the selling race. While some automakers look for reliable suppliers of spare parts, others count on collaborative work with major industry players to lower production costs and make their products more competitive. For example, American companies Ford and GM not long ago cooperated closely on development of automatic gearboxes. And recently it has transpired that Japanese carmakers plan to follow the lead with the purpose of creating their own innovative gearbox solution.

The group of 9 major Japanese carmakers - including Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, and others - will join forces with two largest Japanese transmission producers (Aisin and Jatco) to design advanced gearbox technology. The undertaking is named TRAMI, and will be headed by Honda's Toshiaki Maeda. Moreover, it is expected that TRAMI will cooperate with educational facilities around Japan to pick out and support the most talented students for the country’s auto business.

In contrast to Ford and GM's collaboration, TRAMI doesn’t aim at developing particular gearboxes, but rather the technological concept that will be implemented in future transmission solutions. It is too soon to argue what this powerful team will focus on, but some essential steps may include: weight saving, reducing drag and energy loss, enhancing torque, advancing CVT solutions, designing advanced hybrid car gearboxes, and enhancing speed reduction gearing for E-cars.

That’s how Japan H2 Mobility is supposed to operate

Japanese carmakers already have a rewarding experience of collaborative effort. Four years ago, the country's carmakers established a similar alliance intended to design fuel-sipping IC-engines. Moreover, not long ago the car manufacturers teamed up with energy companies in an undertaking named Japan H2 Mobility to launch erection of hydrogen refueling stations throughout the country. Eight years ago, Japan's carmakers entered into an alliance to design car parts that would not require external power supply, instead of this they will be converting small share of vibration, heat or light into the electricity they would require to work properly.