PSA Group and Punch Powertrain Move Toward a New Stage of Cooperation
Recently, PSA Group and Punch Powertrain have made public their plans to enter into a joint venture (JV) agreement to manufacture the new electrified transmission (e-DCT). It is planed that the manufacturing process will be launched in 2022.
At the recent meeting, representatives of both parties revealed the JV name and the manufacturing location. The upcoming JV will be called “Punch Powertrain PSA e-transmissions”, and will be located at the PSA’s facility in Metz. The plant is expected to annually produce more than half a million of gearboxes. This manufacturing facility was selected thanks to its economic viability and workmanship. A representative of the plant claimed that the partnership would provide employment opportunities for four hundred specialists, and that the OSA plans to devote solid investments for the JV. The parties, however, have not confirmed this information.
The manufacturing
location of the e-DCT transmission in Metz, France
The gearbox will be engineered in Punch
Powertrain R&D departments. Thanks to the fundamentally new architecture,
the e-DCT paired with a 48V electric motor, will be installed in the French
carmaker’s upcoming e-cars.
Outstanding operation characteristics of this
gearbox will help to improve fuel economy (up to 15%) and decrease the level of
air pollution because of the ZEV mode applied in queuing traffic. This e-DCT
solution will set a new standard for dual-clutch gearboxes in the motor cars
and light trucks.
The JV is still expecting a formal approval to
go ahead from the high-ranking officials. In May 2018, the French auto giant
had firstly informed about its aim to cooperate with Punch Powertrain, to
supply gearbox solutions until 2022 as part of the PSA’s strategy. The
abovementioned agreement brings the cooperation to a new level. Initially, the
partners will produce DT2 gearboxes, until the manufacturing lines are ready
for the e-DCT gearboxes.
DT-2 transmission
produced by Punch Powertrain for vehicle of PSA Group
Punch Powertrain has put in significant financial resources to comply with requirements of the broad-scale collaboration. For instance, the Belgian-based manufacturer of gearboxes purchased Apojee, an expert in the field of Power Electronics, at the beginning of the year. In 2017, Punch manufactured more than a 1.000.000 gearboxes, mainly for Asian customers.
