ABSTRACT The worldwide increasing acceptance and success of modern automatic transmissions in passenger cars is based on innovative technology, driving comfort, shifting dynamic and - most important - fuel consumption reduction. New concepts are facing the challenge of further improvements in internal efficiency and very tough future goals on CO2 emissions in connection with more sophisticated gasoline and diesel engine technologies. Based on the competition and current diversity in automatic transmission concepts, high investments in production facilities must be taken also well into account when thinking about follow-up technologies of installed 8-speed and 9- speed technologies. This must also be considered for the different demands in regions and markets. So, how may a successful automatic transmission system look like in 2020 and beyond? Do we have even more gears than the current 8-speed and 9-speed? Does it make sense to increase the total gear ratio any further? Are there measures to improve the overall mechanical efficiency by several percent? What is the prevailing transmission system: torque converter planetary, dual-clutch countershaft or belt-type stepless transmission? How does the electrification and hybridization of the powertrain in the next years effect the system? This article will give some brief answers on how ZF is planning the future of automatic transmissions and how successful systems should look like. 1. THE CO2 CHALLENGE In view of the well-known problems of climate change/global warming, consumption and emission regulations will betightened significantly sooner or later on all the relevant markets. Failure to meet these provisions can result in considerable fines, or in the worst case, a certain vehicle may no longer be permitted on a market. That is why all vehicle manufacturers are currently pursuing programs to reduce future fleet fuel consumption. Faced with continually rising fuel costs, consumers are also very interested in economical vehicles, although they are unwilling to compromise on the comfort and driving performance they have become accustomed to. Apart from the engines, which have benefited from massive improvements in recent years, there is a focus on transmissions when it comes to increasing vehicle fuel efficiency. 2. PAST AND PRESENT TRANSMISSION CONCEPTS - SYSTEM COMPARISONS AND MARKET OVERVIEW Since the 1960's, when customers were offered the alternatives of manual transmissions or torque-converter transmissions, a range of new technologies has become established on the market. Figure 1 schematically shows the market launch of new transmission technologies and alternative drive concepts. After continuously variable transmissions became established in the Asian region, dual clutch transmissions were able to achieve a notable market share in Europe. Another significant milestone was the market launch of the hybrid transmission, followed by vehicles with pure electric drives. Meanwhile, 8-speed torque converter automatic transmissions, 7-speed manual transmissions, “dry” and “wet” dual clutch transmissions, and continuously variable transmissions (CVT) also with two Automatic Transmission Systems Beyond 2020 - Challenges and Competition2013-01-1273 Published 04/08/2013 Juergen Greiner and Martin Grumbach ZF Friedrichshafen AG Copyright © 2013 SAE International doi:10.4271/2013-01-1273Downloaded from SAE International by Univ of California Berkeley, Monday, August 06, 2018overlapping transmission-ratio ranges are established on the market. Figure 1. Latest transmission technologies Figure 2 shows a quality comparison of different properties of the various transmission systems. The criteria listed are efficiency/fuel consumption, driving comfort, driving pleasure, power-to-weight ratio, and costs. As already known, the different transmissions each have advantages and disadvantages. While AT and CVT stand out for driving comfort, the strengths of manual transmissions and autom