EFFICIENCY Ever y last watt E Words: Lawrence Butcher ICEs AND ELECTRIFIED POWERTRAINS ARE DEMANDING EVER GREATER LEVELS OF EFFICIENCY FROM TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS fficiency is the name of the game in the world of electrification. Although transmissions in the traditional sense – multispeed units, be they manual, automatic or DCTs as found in ICE applications – are less common, most EVs feature at least a reduction gearbox. With the latest motor and inverter technology edging into the marginal gains efficiency territory of 97% and up, there remain useful benefits in the refinement of transmissions. These can be found in a variety of areas, from the design and geometry of gears to surface finishing and treatments, lubrication and even all-new takes on power transmission. 22 Transmission Technology International / 2023