Active Shift Control reduces gear-shift times by 30 per cent, adds to driving fun, and improves fuel economy
The new technology will benefit upcoming Kia hybrids.
The technology also delivers smoother gear changes despite quicker shift times.
“The development of world’s first ASC technology incorporates precise motor control to automatic transmission,” said KyoungJoon Chang, Vice President and Head of Powertrain Control System Group of Hyundai Motor Group.
“It will not only save fuel but also provide a more fun driving experience.”
The in-house developed, world-first technology improves gear-shift efficiency for hybrid vehicles and is now set for mass production.
Conventional hybrid vehicles do not have torque converters in order to further improve fuel economy as torque converters lose energy during the process of transmission.
ASC technology allows the hybrid’s electric motor to also take control of gear shifts by applying new software logic to the Hybrid Control Unit (HCU) to mitigate issues with slower shift time.
This not only improves hybrid vehicle’s acceleration performance and fuel economy, but also durability of the transmission by minimising friction during gear shift.
