Research and Markets: More Than 80% of Passenger Cars Are Sold with Manual Transmission in Western Europe.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c9112) has announced the addition of OE Gearbox Clutches: Forecasts to 2010, 2004 Edition to their offering.

This second edition updates and builds on analysis from our first edition report, and has 35% more content for the same low price as the first edition.

Report coverage:

In this second edition reviewing the key market drivers for OE vehicle gearbox clutches, we extend the analysis in our first edition to examine the impact of the 'alternative' transmissions types, such as belt-and-pulley continuously variable transmission, the roller-in-toroid infinitely-variable transmission and the automated manual gearbox.

In addition to highlighting the main market trends in gearbox clutches, Chapter two identifies the main players in Europe, Japan, North America and worldwide. Our product fitment forecasts in this study extend to 2010, determining the market (by volume and value) worldwide (and by major car-producing region) for manual transmissions. All in all, this report includes 24 product forecast data by region.

Chapter three reviews the technical advances in clutches, defining the parts that make up the clutch itself as well as what we can expect to see in tomorrow's cars. Modern engines can be driven at low rpms. The trend is toward ever increasing engine torques. Wind tunnel-optimised vehicle bodies are resulting in quieter cabins. New calculation methods are helping reduce vehicle weight while weight-saving concepts are boosting engine efficiency. The addition of a fifth or sixth gear can also reduce fuel consumption. Thinner oils are also making precise shifting easier. In other words, the sources of noise are increasing and natural damping is decreasing. This section considers some recent innovations to address these concerns.

Chapter four provides brief profiles of the major clutch manufacturers, namely, Aisin, Exedy, FCC, LuK, Valeo and ZF Sachs.

Extract from the report - Europe shifts up a gear

Although the number of European cars equipped with a factory-installed automatic gearbox accounted for 19% of total West European passenger production in 2003 (equivalent to 2.8 million cars and an all-time record) there is no doubt that the vast majority of Europeans still prefer a manual gearbox.

Of the three main vehicle markets of the developed world, Western Europe remains unique in that more than 80% of passenger cars (and an even higher proportion of light commercial vehicles) are sold with manual transmission. Although automatic transmissions are gaining a greater market share, especially in northern Europe (Germany, the UK, Benelux and Scandinavia) consumer resistance remains strong. Motorists with an interest in performance prefer changing gear for themselves, while those more concerned with economy still believe that - quite apart from their extra cost - automatic transmissions deliver inferior economy.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c9112