I’ve been driving an automatic since I passed nearly a decade ago. In that time whenever I tell anyone I drive auto, it’s usually met with some level of derision. I think that attitude is changing, but I’m still kind of confused by it in the first place.
Why?
A lot of the CVTs I was thinking about when I wrote that post were eCVTs like the Prius Prime.
I didn’t realize that eCVT for Prius Prime is very different than… other… CVTs. There’s probably more kinds of CVTs out there than any other transmission.
Prius Prime has two powerful electric motors (!!) for spinning two different parts of the planetary gear system, +1 ICE engine (so 3x total powered inputs) to the power split device. Toyota calls it eCVT, because CVT is emulated by computers controlling the 3x inputs. When one of the electric motors spins in reverse, it increases the effective gear ratio of the other parts of the power-split device, leading to a feeling of instant torque that’s powered by the electric motor.
Honda Accord’s eCVT is completely different, as I’ve discovered through discussion later down with another poster. Honda’s Hybrid is closer to a pure electrical system and… they say eCVT for some insane reason but its just an electric motor really.
So its different than what other car manufacturers called a CVT. I didn’t realize how many kinds of CVTs there were today when I wrote that post.