Talk:NuVinci continuously variable transmission

What exactly is a "front-end accessory drive"? Wikipedia doesn't seem to have a description.

I would like to remove the Introduction Tag, but I will do so only if two other contributers agree that it is no longer necessary. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.79.193.52 (talk) 21:54, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

It reads like an advert
To me, this article reads like an advert. The whole text praises the benefits of the drive, and there are no real contrasting viewpoints. I'm rather new to wiki, so I won't put an Template:Advert warning on it, but it does not seem to keep a neutral point of view. 130.227.121.251 (talk) 12:47, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

I understand your concern, but in my research for this article I found few critical receptions. The bicycle hub has a narrower gear range than certain mountain bike derailleurs, but this was the only negetive on a long list of its characteristics. The earliest version was an ad, however, co it may still seem self-serving. If you have any specific feedback on a particular phrase, I welcome it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kevandegrift (talk • contribs) 21:25, 10 December 2009 (UTC)
 * Coming fresh to this article I have to agree that it still has the flavour of an advertisement. Can anyone come up with some references which I can check tha article against? Murray Langton (talk) 09:57, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

I agree - reads like an advert. NuVinci's unwillingness to publish efficiencies and endless talk of 'overall efficiency' suggests these must be way wores than a hub gear. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.245.198.135 (talk) 15:35, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

100% agree... it looks like an advert, and fails to mention other similar technologies (i.e. Torotrack) and deficiencies (like a purported weight of 11 pounds) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Au leon (talk • contribs) 06:25, 30 June 2010 (UTC)

Still reads like an ad. Ok, it mentions the heavy weight but in the next sentence it qualifies it ("does not need to be lightweight"). moreover there are hub drives with a broader range (rohloff). --62.178.0.147 (talk) 23:36, 9 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I have tried to clean up the article somewhat. Keanu (talk) 13:28, 10 April 2011 (UTC)

It does read like an advert, and seeing there is broad agreement, I am adding the template as such. Andrew B (talk) 03:58, 5 September 2013 (UTC)

Disadvantages v. Advantages need to be contrasted more clearly
I am a bicycle rider and was interested to know what the efficiency (input : output power transfer) of the NuVinci drive was. A chain ring to sprocket drive typically has 97 % efficiency, much higher than gears and a drive shaft. Since a chain ring drives a sprocket on the NuVinci casing, its efficiency is immediately going to be less than 97 %.

This issue is fudged by comparing this large disadvantage with other unrelated advantages. I believe the entire article needs to be rewritten so that the advantages and disadvantages are clearly distinguished. Then people can weigh up for themselves whether certain advantages are desirable even in the face of the disadvantages. Since I am not a mechanical engineer, I don't have the knowledge to do this rewrite. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hfinger (talk • contribs) 11:56, 27 December 2009 (UTC)

Front end accessory drive, CVT efficiency
I come from the automotive world, so I think I can shed a little light on some of this. "Front end accessory drive", also known as a "Front engine accessory drive" is more commonly referred to by it's acronym in automotive, FEAD, pronounced fee-add. Basically, it is the accessory system that (usually) hangs off the front of your engine, is driven by a belt, and may include the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, AC compressor, etc. There have been a laundry list of attempts over the years to apply CVTs to FEADs (SAE paper 970007 is one example) without success. There's a need, but the combination of circumstances has not been right yet.

With respect to efficiency, CVT suppliers to the automotive world (mainly Jatco, Bosch VDT & LuK) seldom ever quote numbers for two reasons: 1)While its relatively straightforward to measure efficiency in a conventional transmission in each gear, and those numbers have a relatively small dependence on load, whereas the equivalent measurement in a CVT is a 3-D surface that does have a significant load dependency and 2)automotive CVTs usually have terrible straight up efficiency (67% for belt CVTs in SAE paper 2007-01-1457, as opposed to 90+% for a manual trans). In our world, CVTs more than make up for the efficiency loss by making the overall powertrain more efficient - see Nissan cars & SUVs using that 67% efficient belt CVT, their acceleration & EPA mileage are usually among best-in-class. Does the same hold true for a bicycle's "engine" and this CVT? Can't answer that one, but you would think it has to be more efficient than a belt CVT to even be sold on bikes. Covertcat (talk) 16:56, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

Half-truth in claims
The article claims several advantages are offered ONLY by NuVinci CVTs (small size, in-line shafts, etc), despite there being other companies commercializing similar technologies. It looks like every single claim should be reviewed for veracity Au leon (talk) 07:26, 30 June 2010 (UTC)

Tilting ball variators
These have been around for years in industry. Two disks face each other, driving by friction through a ring of spherical balls. The balls are fixed on tilted axles. Changing the tilt axis of the balls changes the relative radius of their contact circle with the two disks, thus changing the overall gear ratio.

So what's NuVinci's innovation, in addition to this? Andy Dingley (talk) 09:37, 30 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Must be the elastohydrodynamic lubrication mentioned in the article. Chrisahn (talk) 11:40, 6 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Even then there's the Beier and Hele-Shaw was doing work with similar devices back in the 1910s. Andy Dingley (talk) 11:57, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

Efficiency claims
This material is interesting, but it needs a source:
 * "As with most other traction-type CVTs, transmission of torque through the NuVinci CVT involves some relative sliding between the torque-transmitting contact patches. This is because, for any given contact patch, parts of the ball are going in a slightly different direction than the disc. This relative sliding necessarily occurs between surfaces under high pressures. This causes transmission losses (inefficiency). Fallbrook Technology refuse to publish any efficiency data for the NuVinci CVT. Such inefficiencies could be significantly greater than the gains in overall system efficiencies that Fallbrook Technology claim are possible with the NuVinci CVT."

Anyone? -AndrewDressel (talk) 05:39, 26 July 2011 (UTC)

"thus lowering total clamping force required" is wrong. And so is...
The article states, "However, unlike toroidal CVTs, it distributes the transmitted torque over several spheres, thus lowering total clamping force required." For any given gear ratio, the total clamping force required depends on the torque (that needs to be) transmitted and is actually independent of the number of spheres! This is because transmission is via traction (static friction), the maximum total amount of which across all balls will be proportional to the total clamping force. Increasing the number of spheres reduces the clamping force PER SPHERE, not the total clamping force.


 * Oh, and what is "in a compact package"? Compact compared to what? The torque-density of a NuVinci CVT is most definitely lower than a "conventional" transmission (whatever "conventional" means). Transmissions that transmit torque via tangential surface-contact forces (friction) rather than predominantly by reaction-type contact forces are always likely to have a lower torque (and power) volumetric density.


 * "Transmissions that use EHL to transfer power are known as traction drives. A traction drive transmission operates utilizing a traction fluid". Wrong. Traction drives are drives that transmit via traction (static friction) whether EHL is used or not.


 * "The NuVinci CVT system has few parts." Compared to what? Without a suitable comparison, it also definitely has many parts.


 * "The NuVinci CVT further offers the ability to accept multiple inputs while varying speed and ratio, managing torque and providing single or multiple power outlets." What's that going on about? Multiple inputs? Multiple power outlets? This should really be expanded / explained.


 * "...with tooling that can be used across a wide variety of applications." What's that going on about?


 * "rolling traction". There's no such type of traction, is there?! There's just traction (or lack of it). Not a serious matter though.


 * "Torque inputs can be summed or divided, just as in a conventional planetary." Divided? I'm not aware that planetaries can be used to divide torque. They can be summed or differenced. Does "divided" here mean "split"?


 * "Ratio control is stable, and can be actuated down the center line of the transmission, which again is similar to the proven planetary transmission." The latter part of this makes no sense: a planetary transmission has no ratio control, let alone one down its centre. Did the author mean adjustable (multi-ratio) planetary-based transmissions such as planetary-based bicycle hubs?


 * "In most applications, there is no need for high-pressure hydraulics." I think that should state that in most uni-directional torque applications (such as bicycle hub-gearing), there will be no need for high-pressure hydraulics. (I believe the NuVinci exploits uni-directional torque in their bike hub app to increase the clamping pressure so that applying an input torque in the opposite direction would reduce the clamping pressure. For bi-directional applications, auxiliary hydraulics may be needed? Related to this, and what I may add when I've created a Wiki account, however, is that high-pressure lubrication systems appear to be needed for even moderately powered applications: "We have units in prototype form that ...have an external pressurized lube system" (http://nuvinci.informe.com/forum/bicycle-hub-support-f2/re-horsepower-issue-t494.html) This relates to heat losses (inefficiencies) which appear to be large with the nuVinci.


 * I really think that "making the transmission simple, small, light and easy to package" should be deleted.

My goodness, this whole article is riddled with faults and stuff that makes no sense. I might just have to create a Wikipedia account to do some more thorough (and more accountable) editing in order to counter this overly-optimistic, badly written sales pitch that currently stands... 109.145.82.160 (talk) 02:37, 28 July 2011 (UTC)


 * That would be fantastic. My apologies for reformatting your comments.
 * As you may already realize, the coin of the realm here is the reliable source, so Mechanisms & Mechanical Devices Sourcebook is great, and Fallbrooktech.com is less so but better than nothing.
 * Also original research is anathema, so comments such as I think, I believe, and may be needed are all fine here on the talk page, but asserting as with most other traction-type CVTs, transmission of torque through the NuVinci CVT involves some relative sliding between the torque-transmitting contact patches is problematic without a source that confirms that point.
 * You do seem to be familiar with this field, so your improvements to this article should be a big help. -AndrewDressel (talk) 06:35, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

It's a CVT hub
This article is an advertisement and should be deleted. A short paragraph on the NuVinci wheel hub should be added to the history section in the NON-proprietary encyclopedic article titled CVT, just like all the other proprietary mentions. -Dirtclustit (talk) 21:46, 18 January 2015 (UTC)


 * There is no wikipedia requirement that the subject of an article not be a commercial product, only that the subject be notable and that there be reliable sources to confirm the facts. The published articles in Motor Trend, Popular Science, and gizmag have been found sufficient for this. That there are not articles about other proprietary technologies is not a valid argument for deleting this one. If you have an issue in general with articles about commercial products, you should take that up elsewhere. -AndrewDressel (talk) 03:24, 19 January 2015 (UTC)


 * Wikipedia doesn't need to write new policy unless there is continued abuse -- such as advertisement entries -- I understand how marketing departments  use language that distinguishes their brand from the competition. I understand the way you are choosing to see it, that NuVinci's patented, new and improved, breakthrough and revolutionary design isn't just a CVT. Which is how I am choosing to see it, if every solid state hard drive manufacturer gave their SSD as special label or unique wording for their particular SSD, it doesn't warrant or excuse each manufacturer having an advertisement entry in wikipedia. This NuVinci entry is more like that example than not. -Dirtclustit (talk) 12:37, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

model variations
What are the model variations - and is the purpose each a variant of its own or are they all the same? [Enviolo:history] names e.g. for 2017 the N380f and N380x. Enviolo names N170 for 2007 and N171 for 2008, the table here names N171 only, for 2007. The enviolo web pages is extremely unclear about model's names. Currently it does offer a city group with 310%, although there is no name for any N310 anywhere. N380 "Trekking" is up to 180 kg, 85 Nm, 250 W, 180 mm Disc. N380 "Sport" and "Cargo" are up to 200 kg, 100 Nm, 500 W, 203 mm Disc. "Commercial" is 310 %, 160 kg, 50 Nm, 250 W, 180 mm Disc, as is "City". No weights are given. --Traut (talk) 10:26, 17 June 2021 (UTC)

History of the company and product | Bankruptcy restructuring
I just wanted to suggest that the article be updated to reflect that the product "survived" several bankruptcy restructurings. Flibbertigibbets (talk) 20:32, 10 November 2022 (UTC)