continuously variable transmissions VERY cool concept

[Veselin Kolev]

The usual problem with CVTs is that they are friction based. You cant make those wheels out of gears, they have to be coated in some kind of traction. This means there will always be a limit to how much torque you can run through the system. I think that is the reason why CVTs never got around in the automotive world, they can only work well on small, low power cars. They were mostly used on cars like high fuel efficiency hybrids, which have lower powers anyway. But if you want a CVT on a big ol' SUV, youre gonna run into problems.