General background of the application of the CVT

A further reduction of fuel consumption, while maintaining or even improving driveability andperformance, is the primary aim of VDT’s EcoDrive project. The general designconsiderations that led to the newest push-belt based CVT forms the topic of the presentpaper. The following items are covered: transmission layout, fuel consumption map, ratiocoverage, variator clamping strategy and engine speed control. Measurements on a testvehicle are presented. This paper is intended to present the relevant results influencing theprimary project targets: fuel consumption and driveability improvement.