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Here are quick explanations about the role of a transmission in a car, JATCO's continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and step automatic transmissions (ATs), and the unique features of our transmissions for hybrid vehicles.

The brain of a vehicle, the transmission, controls driving performance.

The transmission of a car is responsible for transmitting the power generated by the engine to the tires.

It does more than just transmit power, however.For example, when a car is starting off or traveling uphill, the transmission needs to generate a very large driving force to accelerate the car. On the other hand, when a car does not need to accelerate or decelerate—during high-speed cruising on an expressway, for example—the transmission controls the driving force to reduce it to the minimum necessary level.

In this way, a transmission converts engine power to the optimum level needed to respond to the driver’s inputs and to driving conditions and transmits this power to the tires.

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There are two basic kinds of transmission—automatic transmissions that change gear ratios automatically, and manual transmissions that rely on the driver to change gear ratios manually. JATCO is a specialist manufacturer of automatic transmissions with a history of more than 50 years.

The most distinctive feature of an automatic transmission (AT) is that it thinks like a brain.An AT makes judgments moment by moment regarding the driver’s inputs and the car's driving conditions to automatically select the right gear ratio for delivering optimum driving performance and fuel economy. An AT is a transmission that, like a human brain, can “think.”

CVT

JATCO is the world’s only AT/CVT manufacturer that boasts a product line that covers everything from mini cars to 3.5-liter-class engine vehicles. It is also the global market share leader in CVTs.

A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is a type of automatic transmission that utilizes a belt and pulleys to change gear ratios seamlessly. The key feature of a CVT is the ability to change speed flexibly without the shock of gear shifts. This feature enables it to respond sensitively to the driver’s accelerator pedal inputs and ensure that the engine operates at optimum efficiency, allowing the CVT to achieve both excellent driving performance and fuel efficiency.

CVT

HOW CVT GEAR SHIFTING WORKS

This video will give you a simple explanation of the differences between the structure and gear shifting mechanisms of belt CVTs and traditional step-gear automatic transmissions.

Step AT

JATCO continues to research ways for the world-standard step AT to further boost fuel economy and improve drivability.

Although the use of CVT continues to grow, the step AT remains widely used in many automobiles around the world. JATCO continues to pursue research from a wide range of angles, including adding multistep and wider range for better fuel economy, weight reductions, and improved control technologies, aimed at improving the step AT's engine and environmental performance.

Step AT

Transmission for Hybrid Vehicles

JATCO is developing transmissions with automakers that maximize the performance of hybrid vehicles.

Commanding its advanced clutch control technologies built up over the years, JATCO is developing transmissions for the next generation of pioneering hybrid vehicles with automakers. JATCO's long-standing proprietary clutch control technologies have helped realize greater energy regeneration and motor operations as well as balance both fuel economy and drivability to a higher degree than ever before.

Transmission for Hybrid Vehicles