CVT's evolution and Nissan's latest CVT technologies

Abstract

A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an excellent system for achieving high levels of well-balanced performance in terms of fuel economy, acceleration, vehicle mountability and smoothness. It can be regarded as the optimum transmission solution for passenger vehicles at the present time. This paper describes the evolution of CVTs with regard to technical aspects. It first reviews the evolution of torque capacity and ratio coverage, which are the major specifications providing diverse CVT performance attributes. It then surveys the evolution of technology for improving fuel economy, which has been a key issue in recent years. Finally, the technologies incorporated in the latest CVT are described to illustrate the present level of achievement © Springer-Verlag 2013.