Elmia, one of the most prominent automotive industry events in Sweden, served as the stage for Scania's latest innovation in heavy-duty vehicle transmissions. The newly unveiled G38 transmission is engineered to perfectly complement Scania's powerful 770-horsepower V8 engine, which can generate a maximum torque of 3,700 Nm. Remarkably, the new transmission achieves this without increasing the weight or size compared to its predecessor, the G33.
In fact, the G38 is 60-70 kg lighter than the models it replaces, thanks largely to its aluminum structure and compact overall dimensions. Additionally, the transmission boasts significant noise reduction, a crucial factor in meeting future regulatory standards. Gear shifts are executed through pneumatic actuators, and Scania's engineers have reduced the number of synchronizations, creating space for larger gears.
How were these advancements achieved? "It's fundamentally a matter of metallurgy, specifically selecting higher-grade steels and applying technologies such as gear polishing and shot peening to enhance the hardness and durability of critical components," explains Mats Henriksson, an engineer in Scania's Research and Development department. "We’ve also added oil channels to the most critical parts, but the basic design of the G series is already extremely robust."
The G series transmissions, including the new G38, are available in a Heavy Duty (HD) version. The G38CH, as it's known, features a wider planetary gear to provide additional strength. This enhancement significantly boosts the transmission's capacity to handle high torque on the drivetrain, even under the most demanding road conditions.
