Based on its recent analysis of the automotive transmission market, Frost & Sullivan has recognized Mazaro with the 2015 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Visionary Innovation Leadership. Mazaro's patented reversible variable transmission (RVT) is a highly innovative technology that offers the benefits of a continuous variable transmission (CVT) without its limitations. Its advanced design delivers superior fuel economy, low CO2 emissions, quick throttle response, continuous operation at maximum power, and no torque dip.
Despite the profusion of transmission technologies, there is a need for a transmission that is much more internally efficient, and always keeps the engine at the right rotations per minute (rpm) for the conditions. Mazaro addresses this need with its RVT, which features wheels that move without a drilling motion and with a slippage as low as 0.2%.
"In peer technologies, the rolling surfaces suffer drill-slip, but the RVT's rolling surfaces simply roll over each other, as in the case of cones with coinciding tips," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Arun Chandranath. "When the surface speeds of both cones are equal at one point, the surface speeds are equal at every point on the contact line, resulting in a pure rolling motion. This system eliminates energy-consuming drill-slip and oil heating."
Furthermore, the RVT facilitates a change in driving direction from forward to reverse and back, in one fluent continuum, without clutches or synchromeshes. The RVT's speed ratio is 60% higher than an 8-speed automatic transmission's (AT) or other CVTs', which translates to the most efficient use of engines. Indeed, the combination of an RVT and flywheel can recover all kinetic energy due to its capability to change the speed ratio from 0 to high overdrive without losing energy in a slipping clutch.
Meanwhile, Mega Trends such as urbanization, the rise of metropolitans and megacities, and innovating to zero are creating new opportunities as well as challenges in the global market. Mazaro has fully leveraged the urbanization trend with its RVT, which has emerged as a practical answer to a wide variety of power transmission needs.
The RVT's design and its electronic controller allow the engine to operate continuously at its highest overall efficiency, once the driver issues an acceleration, deceleration, or cruising command via the throttle pedal. Effectually, it reduces fuel consumption and emissions by up to 26%, operates with minimal noise, and uses fewer parts than than any other transmission system.
"The RVT boasts exciting dynamics, with a claimed throttle response of 60 ms," noted Chandranath. "The RVT's immediate response to the throttle's commands can give the driver an engaging driving experience."
All current transmissions, besides CVT, only provide a limited number of distinct gear ratios from which to select. To improve fuel economy, manufacturers tend to include more gears; however, this principle has practical and financial ramifications. Yet, in spite of the additional gears, all current transmissions have low efficiency while changing their ratio. In contrast, the RVT has continuously high efficiency, even while changing ratios.
Mazaro is now focusing on making the RVT production-ready for specific applications, through meticulous design and calculation of mechanical aspects, physical models and controls software.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated the understanding to leverage global Mega Trends, integrate the vision into processes to achieve strategic excellence. The award recognizes the efficacy of the recipient's innovative process and the impact it has on business and society at large.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
