The CVT replaces a conventional gear transmission by using centripetal force to continuously change the gear ratio between the primary and secondary units. This allows the car to receive high torque from the engine when accelerating and high speed when the engine reaches max rpm.

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How it works: As the driver supplies more gas to the engine, the primary rotates at a faster rate. Due the faster rotational speed, weights within the primary unit have more centrifugal force and press against the walls of the primary. Ramps against the walls redirect this force from an outward direction to an axial direction. This axial force moves a plate (called a sheave) inward, pinching the belt and rotating it. As the driver applies even more gas and the engine supplies more rotational speed, the sheave moves inward even more. The belt rides up on the sheave, changing the gear ratio of the system. The secondary unit acts oppositely to the primary; the sheaves on the secondary open as the engine gains speed.