Is the Punch CVT transmission equipped with a steel belt or chain?
2 Answers
The Punch CVT transmission is a steel belt transmission. The principle and advantages of CVT transmissions are introduced as follows: Principle of CVT transmission: It mainly consists of two conical pulleys and a steel belt or chain. The two conical pulleys can be compressed or released by electro-hydraulic control devices, changing the diameter of the steel belt wrapped around the pulleys to achieve the purpose of altering the transmission ratio. During startup, the driving pulley has the smallest diameter while the driven pulley has the largest. At high speeds, the driving pulley's diameter increases, and the driven pulley's diameter decreases. The entire process of diameter adjustment is controlled by a computer, enabling stepless adjustment and continuously variable transmission. Advantages of CVT transmission: Since the CVT transmission has no mechanical gears, the driving process is very smooth with almost no noticeable jerking. The CVT has fewer components, only a few hundred, which contributes to its higher reliability.
Just helped my cousin with this issue last week - his Soueast DX3 uses the Punch VT2 transmission. The Punch brand is quite interesting, initially using steel belts before upgrading some models to chains. Currently their product line splits into two paths: the VT2 series primarily uses push-type steel belts supplied by Germany's Bosch, featuring a unique structure where hundreds of steel segments stack together to push the pulleys forward like a handcart; whereas the newer VT3 and VT5 series adopt chain drives, especially those installed in certain Geely models where chains demonstrate higher efficiency in pulling the pulleys. Simply put, check the specific model year - older vehicles likely use steel belts, while newer models particularly those paired with 1.5T engines mostly feature chains.
