GKN Automotive hosts 33rd Japan Powertrain Forum

The yearly forum provides an opportunity for Japanese OEMs to experience GKN Automotive’s leading driveline, eDrive, and all-wheel drive technology, and to hear from the company’s senior executives.

This year’s edition saw nine Japanese OEMs in attendance: Daihatsu, HINO, Honda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota. More than 40 of GKN Automotive’s team of engineers and executives were present to showcase the company’s market-leading technologies and further strengthen relationships with the attending OEMs.

Split across two days, the event began with a Powertrain Forum, featuring presentations from a number of GKN Automotive executives on the latest powertrain technologies, among other subjects including noise reduction and wheel behaviour analysis. Dirk Kesselgruber, Chief Technology Officer; Anthony Bell, Vice President Operations Asia; Keiwan Kashi, Vice President Engineering ePowertrain; and Ken Tsuchino, Manager Mechanical System Development Japan all spoke during the forum.

On the second day – designed to enable a deeper understanding of GKN Automotive’s products – attendees had the opportunity to test drive their pick of 13 demo vehicles to experience the technologies first hand. The drives took place at GKN Automotive’s Daikoji Proving Ground, in Tochigi – a multi-purpose test driving ground which enabled the OEMs to test the vehicles across five different courses, to reflect a range of conditions and surfaces.

Events like these provide unique opportunities for collaboration and information sharing. Already a key supplier to 90% of the world’s global OEMs, the forum allowed the Tier 1 supplier to showcase its market-leading technical expertise and diversified product portfolio, as the OEMs explore new technologies for future models.