This Renault gearbox has 15 gears and no clutch

The UK's Horse Powertrain started production of the Renault Rafale plug-in automatic transmission with unique features

Photo by: HORSE Powertrain

By: Gianmarco Gori

Dec 23, 2024 at 3:14am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

How many gears can an automatic transmission have? Up to 15 according to Horse Powertrain, the British company owned by Renault and the Geely Group, which has just announced that it has started production of the new DB49, the transmission that will be fitted to the new Renault Rafale plug-in hybrid.

Among its main features is the complete absence of a clutch unit, totally replaced by a pair of electric motors in charge of both moving the car and managing the gear couplings. Here are all the details.

Compact and light

The new transmission that will equip the Renault Rafale plug-in hybrid, according to the company, is the first to be designed in-house by Horse Powertrain and can be applied to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or combustion-only vehicles.

To go into more technical details of this transmission, the DB49 automatic transmission is, as mentioned, a clutchless unit. Thanks to the different gear ratios and the two electric motors installed inside, it can generate up to 15 different ratio combinations- i.e. 15 gears - and is capable of handling a maximum torque of 470 Nm, while simultaneously unloading a maximum electric peak power of 48 PS to the ground. The total weight is 99 kg.

Renault Rafale

Fine electronics

What do you think?

View

Comments

According to the company, the new gearbox is controlled via the new Power Electronics Box (PEB), a state-of-the-art integrated electronics unit produced at the factory in Aveiro, Spain, which includes optimised hardware and software to significantly reduce battery charge usage and thus maximise electric mileage.

During the presentation Patrice Haettel, CEO of Horse, said:

"The start of production of the DB49 in Seville is more than just a technological milestone; it reaffirms the strategic role Horse plays in the global mobility ecosystem. The DB49 is a hybrid gearbox, an evolution of the DB35, designed for the engine used in the Renault Rafale."

"It is the result of relentless innovation aimed at developing technological solutions for a more responsible and sustainable future, while meeting the needs of the global market. It is an innovation that seeks not just to invent, but to continuously improve what we are already doing."