Abstract: In this paper, analyzing the dynamics principle of power shift process of automotive transmission (AT), a simulation platform was established for power transmission system with software MATLAB and LMS.Amesim. A phased control strategy was proposed for the power shift process, including torque phase and inertial phase. In the torque phase, the constant slope of friction torque was taken as the control objective, and the inertial phase was arranged for optimal tracking control. Considering the performance index function of the shift jerk and the clutch sliding work, the optimal control law was established based on the minimum principle, the shift time was optimized and the calculation process of the shift time was presented. The effectiveness of the control strategy was verified by simulation and real vehicle tests. The results show the control strategy can improve the comprehensive performance of vehicle shifting.