It looks like the consumer pickup truck is about to get another shot in the arm from the medium- and heavy-duty industry. The last booster was the diesel engine, so this next infusion will surely be beneficial as well. In March of 2009, Torotrak, a British-based engineering company, announced it was partnering with Allison to offer infinitely variable transmissions (IVT) to the commercial truck market. If it is good enough for the latest severe-duty tractors and heavy earth moving equipment, it ought to hold up to anything we can dish out.
What is an IVT?
Instead of only having a few fixed gear ratios like conventional transmissions, the IVT uses a variator, effectively giving the transmission an infinite number of seamless speeds. The IVT uses computer software to determine the power required at the tires and then requests torque from the transmission.
Unlike continuously variable transmissions (CVT) found in snowmobiles and some cars already on the market, the IVT can handle much more torque.
How This Benefits You
Fuel Economy: An IVT transmission is currently being demonstrated in a Ford Expedition with a 5.4L gas engine. Independently monitored tests show a 20 percent improvement compared to the four-speed automatic transmission. Computer-generated tests predict at least a 10 percent improvement compared to six-speed automatics.
Reduced Emissions: Since the gears aren't fixed, the transmission allows the engine to operate at its peak efficiency. According to Torotrak, the Ford we just mentioned, equipped with an IVT, produced the same level of emissions without exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) as the same engine and traditional transmission with EGR.
Geared Neutral Feature: The IVT is geared neutral, meaning the engine is connected to the tires even if the truck is stopped, without the need for a clutch or torque converter. So even if you stop the vehicle on a hill, the transmission will hold it stationary without the driver having touse the brakes.