Powershift

PowerShift is a branding name used for several distinct concepts, most prominently a family of transmissions developed by Ford Motor Company. The Ford PowerShift refers to dual-clutch automated manual transmissions designed to deliver smooth, rapid gear changes and improved fuel efficiency compared with traditional automatic gearboxes. They have been used in various Ford models, especially small to mid-size passenger cars in Europe and other markets. The technology pre-selects the next gear with two clutches, enabling quick shifts; early versions used dry clutches and encountered complaints about rough shifting and reliability, leading to recalls and software updates; later iterations adopted different clutch configurations and revised control software to address these issues.

PowerShift may also refer to other, non-automotive uses of the term, including branding for policy or campaign efforts intended to shift power dynamics in energy systems, governance, or public policy. In these contexts, the term is used metaphorically to describe a reallocation or redistribution of power or influence, rather than a mechanical device. Because PowerShift is used by different organizations for different purposes, the exact meaning depends on the context.