Staff members of Shengrui Transmission Corp work to upgrade the company's production capacity for its 8-gear auto transmission.

Shengrui Transmission Corp, developer of the world's first-ever front-engine, front-drive 8-gear auto transmission (8AT), launched a two-month production upgrade project on April 15. The company will be able to increase annual production capacity from 150,000 8ATs to 250,000 beginning in June.

Shengrui revealed that a new production line will start construction at the end of this year, effectively expanding the company's annual production capacity to 550,000 units annually.

Shengrui's rapid growth was strongly supported by its innovation capability.

The privately-owned company, transformed from a Stated-owned diesel engine parts supplier in 2003, started to research and develop the world's first front-engine, front-drive 8AT in 2006.

Li Weiqiang, deputy general manager of Shengrui, recalled that the 4AT was the mainstream product in the domestic market in 2007, when the company started to make samples of the 8AT.

"Very few domestic companies could even produce the 6AT. The market for 8AT was dominated by Japanese and German companies," said Li.

He said many core technologies in the vehicle manufacturing industry, such as electronics, engines, transmissions and integrated control systems, were controlled by foreign developers.

Shengrui introduced the first 8AT prototype in 2010. It has been able to produce the prototype locally since 2012.

The company has established partnerships with many automotive developers to increase awareness of its 8AT. For instance, the 8AT has been equipped on Landwind-branded vehicles in China.

Shengrui's 8AT won the National Science and Technology Progress Award in January. The award is one of China's top prizes devised by the State Council in recognition of scientific contributions made by both groups and individuals. The company has become the first auto parts supplier to obtain such an award in China since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established.

Shengrui's automotive transmission industrial park, which started construction in May last year, will soon be completed.