New technology is making its way to Hyundai and Kia models as the sibling companies announced they have created a transmission that shifts gears based on predictive information and communication technology.
The automakers call it the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Connected Shift transmission, which uses front-facing sensors with “an artificial-intelligence algorithm” to determine when to change gears.
According to the companies, the ICT Connected Shift transmission selects the gear deemed to work best with upcoming driving conditions instead of relying on speed and acceleration the way a traditional automatic transmission does.
Hyundai believes the new technology will enhance fuel efficiency as the transmission will be reacting to the road and traffic ahead of the vehicle.
Moreover, the transmission uses the same sensor technology equipped in vehicles with adaptive cruise control, which then works with 3D high-precision maps to feed the vehicle information on the elevation, gradient, and curvature of a road.
The companies conducted tests on the new transmission and further shared that shifts were reduced by 11 percent during tests on a curvy road.
The new technology is expected to be seen in future Kia and Hyundai models, although both companies have not revealed which models will enjoy the new transmission first and when they plan to launch it.
What Hyundai confirmed, however, is that it plans to integrate 5G vehicle-to-infrastructure connections eventually so the transmission would know the best time to shift up or down based on upcoming road conditions.
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