Continuously Variable Transmission VS. Automatic Transmission
For decades, we have heard about two main types of car transmission — automatic and manual. Recently, a new mode of transmission has gained widespread use –continuous variable transmission or CVT. The initial concept of the CVT was first introduced all way back in the sixteenth century and has actually been attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci. But before we get into that, what is a transmission? Transmission is the mechanism, consisting of a system of gears, in your car that transmits power from the engine to your wheels. This is what allows your car to move.
So what’s the difference between an automatic transmission and a CVT? In automatic transmissions, the driver does not have to perform an action to shift the gears of the car, as they do in a manual car. It is a transmission that shifts itself. The automatic transmission contains a number of gears, clutches and breaks. The number of gears present in the system is usually referred to as speeds, and each gear is set to only reach a certain vehicle speed.
A CVT, on the other hand, is a type of automatic transmission that enables an infinite number of gear ratios using a belt and other torque transmission systems. This mechanism allows the CVT to produce the most efficient engine speed for each driving situation. Unlike a traditional automatic transmission, drivers will not feel the shift in gears. However, they will notice a change in engine speed or RPM, with a lower RPM for cruising and higher for acceleration.
While comparing the two power transmission, it is clear that the main benefit of the CVT Transmission is in its efficiency. Automobiles integrated with a CVT are rated among the most efficient vehicles offering fuel economies reaching 38 MPG on a lightweight vehicle, in comparison to 56 MPG in an automobile with an AT (Fueleconomy.gov, 2019). Most hybrids today use the CVT to help maximize their fuel economy. Another difference between the two transmissions is noticed when driving up steep inclines. Normal automatic transmissions can sometimes struggle under heavy load, whereas the CVT’s ability to produce the most optimal engine speed allows it to almost immediately find the exact ratio needed to seamlessly provide power without ever shifting.
Although the CVT is highly fuel efficient, it has other cost factors that make it less popular than the AT. For one, the CVT transmission is very expensive. The starting price for a CVT replacement can cost anywhere between $3000-$5000, in comparison to $1800-$3400 for an AT. Apart from being very costly, to make things worse, they are also not as reliable as the AT. Most units fail after around 100000 miles or sometimes even less, and 9 out of 10 times this failure requires the entire transmission to be replaced. This is majorly due to the parts being very expensive and not being available in many places. Another disadvantage of the CVT is that they don’t offer as much horsepower as the AT. This limits the application of the transmission.
The CVT is definitely an attractive piece of technology offering such outstanding fuel economy and efficiency, and it’s the ability to shift quickly and seamlessly on inclines can be a benefit to those living in mountain regions. However, due to it’s the extremely high cost of setting up and unrealistically low reliability, the amount you may save in fuel simply does not equal the amount it will end up costing when they fail.
References
AAMCO Colorado. (2018). Automatic Transmission vs CVT. [online] Available at: https://www.aamcocolorado.com/automatic-transmission-cvt-which-is-right-for-me/ [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].
Certified Transmission. (n.d.). CVT Transmission Pros & Cons | Certified Transmission Repair. [online] Available at: https://certifiedtransmissionrepair.com/cvt-transmissions-pros-cons/ [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].
Fueleconomy.gov. (2019). 2019 Best and Worst Fuel Economy Vehicles. [online] Available at: https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best-worst.shtml [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].
LeaseCosts Canada. (2018). Difference between CVT and Automatic Transmission. [online] Available at: https://www.leasecosts.ca/en/articles/difference-between-cvt-and-automatic-transmission [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].
Sun Auto Service. (n.d.). The Difference Between Automatic and CVT Transmission | Sun Auto Service. [online] Available at: https://www.sunautoservice.com/what-is-a-cvt/ [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].
