DANA OPENS NEW CHAPTER ON CVTs

A dedicated development center is hustling the unique VariGlide “spherical traction drive” toward 2020 production.

Any emerging technology that warrants its own dedicated development center-40,000 ft2, staffed by 40 engineers and loaded with state-of-art design engineering, analysis, metallurgy, machining, prototyping and test cells with four dynamometers-must be considered a competitive threat. That's the buzz within the powertrain community about Dana's Cedar Park, TX, tech center, and the highly anticipated VariGlide continuously-variable planetary transmission under development there since 2014.

VariGlide is slated to enter production at one or more light vehicle OEMs in 2020. Dana engineers claim it will offer up to 10% greater fuel efficiency than incumbent CVTs, with improved drivability and NVH characteristics. It is “highly scalable” according to company engineers and its compact design enables it to effectively slot into existing transmission housings without significant modification.