A CVT is a continuously variable automatic transmission, a kind of automotive transmission usually built with pulleys of varying sizes connected by belts and delivering gear ratios that adjust in response to demand. A CVT is an alternative type of transmission to the fixed gear transmissions, both automatic and manual, that car engines have used for generations. Traditionally geared transmissions have sets of stepped gears and use clutches to move from gear to gear as power builds and ebbs in the engine. CVTs glide from ratio to ratio constantly. This ever-changing ratio allows computer controls to keep the engine in an ideal power range, balancing efficiency with maximum output, so engineers can tune the engine and transmission to deliver the desired behavior.
