Launch of automatic transmission scooters announced by TVS Motor in 2013

An announcement came from the TVS Motor Company today regarding the development of a new technology that will enhance fuel efficiency by as much as twenty percent when compared to the conventional technology deployed. This new technology, termed ‘TVS Automatic Transmission”, developed by TVS Motor Company, employs a Automatic Transmission in place of conventional Continuously Variable Transmission Technology (CVT) which changes gears effortlessly through electronic control, automatically selecting the gear ratios for a particular riding condition. This allows the engine to run at its most efficient RPM (revolutions per minute) for a range of vehicle operating conditions, thereby maximizing the engine performance to achieve peak efficiency, overriding the requirement of a clutch.

Commenting on the development, Harne Vinay Chandrakant, President, New Product Development, TVS Motor Company said, “The objective of this technology development is to deliver a compact engine layout, that will deliver enhanced fuel efficiency and which is usable across product forms like scooter, motorcycles and step-thru’ s. This technology also delivers the lowest CO2 in scooters while providing for low floor board and space for luggage.”

Elaborating on the technology, Harne Vinay Chandrakant said, “We have developed this technology on a highly innovative vehicle layout with compact packaging and light weight construction presently with a 110 cc 4 stroke engine with two Independent, high precision actuators for the clutch and gear shift operations, mounted directly on the engine itself. The characteristics of the actuators are specifically optimized for low power consumption and frequent gear changes while driving in dense traffic”

The company has added an innovative ECU (Electronic Control Unit) which enhances the performance and fuel economy, giving greater convenience of riding. “An advanced cooling arrangement, which is based on the vehicle motion itself, avoids use of engine driven fan, thus minimizing the additional consumption of fuel. The improvement in engine efficiency is derived through friction reduction and multi map electronic ignition control, while transmission efficiency is boosted through the new ‘TVS Automatic Transmission’ technology” adds Harne Vinay Chandrakant.

TVS Motor Company intends to apply this new technology on a slew of products that are in the pipeline.