Will this innovation in shifting technology become the next big thing? Or is just the next Betamax?
- Brace yourselves: There’s a new type of transmission that could upset the world order
- Its inventors describe it as a CVT with gears instead of mushy bands
- The team is looking to either license RatioZero or sell the technology
None of these arguments make a CVT any more fun to drive, nor do anything to assuage customers with preconceived notions that this type of transmission is unreliable, even if empirical data shows marked improvement in that area.
A company in Italy may have a solution, and it involves a CVT that uses gears instead of rubber belts. Wait, what?
Where does the tech currently stand? The company itself says the idea is “running the last mile” at present, moving from advanced prototype stage to full maturity. Its aim for the project is to sell the patent and relative know-how to big manufacturers and tier-one suppliers. The group has been working on this idea since 2018, and is, like most outfits, actively seeking new investors.
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