All of the transmissions available for sale today is continuing to grow exponentially in the last 15 years, all while increasing in complexity. The result is certainly that we are actually coping with a varied amount of transmission types including manual, conventional automatic, automatic manual, dual clutch, continually adjustable, split power and natural EV.
Until extremely recently, automotive vehicle producers largely had two types of transmission to select from: planetary automated with torque converter or conventional manual. Today, however, the volume of choices available demonstrates the changes seen over the industry.
This is also illustrated by the countless different types of vehicles now being manufactured for the market. And not just conventional automobiles, but also all electric and hybrid automobiles, with each type requiring different driveline architectures.
The traditional advancement process involved designing a transmission in isolation from the engine and the rest of the powertrain and vehicle. However, that is changing, with the restrictions and complications 
of this method becoming more more popular, and the constant drive among manufacturers and designers to deliver optimal efficiency at decreased weight and cost.
New powertrains feature close integration of components like the primary mover, recovery systems and the gearbox, and in addition rely on highly advanced control systems. This is to ensure that the very best degree of efficiency and overall performance is delivered all the time. Manufacturers are under increased pressure to create powertrains that are completely new, different from and better than the last version-a proposition that’s made more complex by the necessity to integrate brand components, differentiate within the marketplace and do it all on a shorter timescale. Engineering groups are on deadline, and the advancement process needs to be better and fast-paced than ever before.
Until now, the use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been the most common way to develop drivelines. This process involves elements and subsystems designed in isolation by silos within the organization that lean toward proven component-level analysis tools. While these are highly advanced tools that allow users to extract very dependable and accurate data, they remain presenting data that is collected without concern of the whole system.
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