4 ms·
CVTs are generally less reliable than traditional transmissions, especially under heavy loads. You get better mpg in exchange. You don’t have an alternator, but
by bumby 1y ago
CVTs are generally less reliable than traditional transmissions, especially under heavy loads. You get better mpg in exchange. You don’t have an alternator, but you have a much more expensive electric motor. You don’t have a turbocharger, but in exchange you lose performance at highway speeds. So like most engineering problems, it’s all about tradeoffs.
- yabones 1y agoThe e-CVT is _not_ a typical belt driven CVT like the crap Nissan puts in everything. It's better known as a Power-Split-Device. https://eahart.com/prius/psd/ https://eahart.com/prius/psd/
- kube-system 1y agoDespite the name, "eCVT"s are mechanically unrelated to the CVTs used in gasoline cars. They are mechanically similar to a differential, and have extremely low failure rates.
- bumby 1y agoThanks for clarifying! It does seem like the planetary design would be more reliable (but the point able heavy loads may still apply)
- kayodelycaon 1y agoThe gears easily handle the instant torque of electric motors from thousands of full-throttle standing starts. The electric motors are the limiting factor when it comes to continuous performance. You really don’t want to tow anything heavy with a hybrid. If you need to tow things a lot, get a pickup truck or a heavy-duty SUV with a gas engine.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]