While a traditional transmission uses a wide variety of intricate parts to shift between a range of preset gears, most CVT systems work through a pulley system. In the modern day, almost every manufacturer has at least one model with a continuously variable transmission. By the late 1980s, the CVT entered the mainstream, thanks to Subaru. The first time the CVT gained notoriety was in 1910 when Zenit motorcycles built a CVT model that was so efficient it got banned from hill-climbing competitions.

Though the CVT only recently gained popularity, with new innovations offering greater efficiency, the design has existed for centuries - Leonardo DaVinci designed the first CVT in 1490, though it wasn't officially patented until 1886 by Daimler and Benz. Additionally, a continuously variable transmission makes accelerating smooth and offers enhanced fuel economy. The shiftless nature of a CVT offers unparalleled flexibility that maintains constant angular velocity regardless of output speed. CVT transmission systems are also known as single-speed, shiftless, and stepless transmissions.

A CVT, or continuously variable transmission, seamlessly changes through an unending range of effective gear ratios while you drive, whereas other kinds of mechanical transmissions offer a fixed number of gear ratios and have hard shifts between each as explained by Certified Transmission Repair.

Transmission definition