Understanding the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

[@rediz4rubes]

As a retired GM engineer of 33 years with exhaustive technical training in advanced powertrain systems, I just witnessed the most perfect class in hybrid function using actual components. Your lecture was clear and concise without being overly repetitive. The components were labelled and described well without too much added jargon that quickly overwhelms newer students. Adding them in sequential order was very streamlined and efficient. The information was informative without being exhaustive. That is a balance that many professionals fail to achieve. Congratulations on an excellent job- it speaks highly of your knowledge but more importantly your teaching skill set.

[@nofyfb123]

"Advanced" and "gm" in the same sentence? Otherwise, I agree - excellent overview.

[@antoninpetras9093]

Amen. He made me understand the principles...

[@Skylinecreations101]

I was taught by John Kelly he is an amazing teacher.

[@living4christ]

Why can't GM put out the quality of toyota?

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

Man, shit must’ve really hit the fan if you went from automotive engineering to retail.

[@L3x4Pr0ne]

This guy is an absolute legend in teaching and advanced automotive engineering. These videos are the perfect blend of informative and non-repetitive. Well done.

[@ZanethMedia]

I came into this out of sheer curiosity and I am STUNNED at how cool this is and how well delivered this is

[@bobrichards1]

I have a friend who wholesales about 200 cars a month, mostly Toyotas, Hondas, and Subarus. He knew nothing about how this hybrid synergy drive worked, and the reason is simple. They buy cars in various states of disrepair, but have never had a Toyota hybrid with a mechanical problem.

[@robsilver5510]

I was a GM technician from the mid 1970's 'till the early 2000's. It was imperative that I attend various (and many) technician training schools as new models of GM vehicles rolled out or, as it was explained to me, the dealership would not receive those vehicles. At that time we had to travel to attend such schools. I learned a lot, and as such, became a valuable employee. It was also my "roll" to train other selected technicians in the dealership as to what I had learned. Since your video concerns Toyota transaxles and not GM vehicle transaxles I was both surprised and amazed at what I just learned! I'd have crawled on my hands and knees just to be able to be taught by you. Your style of "teaching" and knowledge of this type of transaxle is exemplary... and I feel I could take one of these apart and reassemble it after never having seen one first hand! This video is a MUST WATCH for both Toyota technicians and Used Car techs as well! Even though I am retired now, I am so glad that I happened upon this video. I still enjoy learning... and you are one hell of an instructor!

[@timothy5974]

My daughter was gifted a 2016 RAV4 by her grandparents and I was real nervous about the hybrid technology but I better understand now. I’m an aviation mechanic and this technology is here to stay. Nice training video, excellent teacher.

[@WeberAuto]

Awesome! Best wishes

[@weicco]

Yes. Toyota Rav4 is avesome car. We have the same year model as well. It is easy to drive and works even in Finnish winter better than any car I know except... When the snow hits the fan or Rav4 hits a ditch, we dig out my Nissan Navara which is the only car I know that is better than Rav4 in Finnish roads. Where we live is no tarmac btw. But Japanese cars are unfortunately very dull. That's why we have one more car: bmw 330ci 😂 And that's the thing! People should have exactly those cars they like to drive instead of government pushing EVs which does not work here. Period. I couldn't even recharge Tesla from my single phase house grid. Btw. I'm a bit envious because you have Toyota Highlanders in US. We don't have them at sale.

[@goodenough5183]

Out of curiosity why were you nervous about the hybrid drive?

[@yigitmert4232]

​@@WeberAutohello...does the 2017 rav4 hybrid and the 2022 corolla cross hybrid have a lot of differences other than the battery or what kind of differences, I wanted to consult you, you are an expert on this issue... if we make a comparison from every point, which one makes more sense to buy,,2017rav4 and corolla cros are the same price in my country...one is older and wider, the other is newer, but the internal volume, material quality and binding are small....what do you think, I wonder :)

[@yigitmert4232]

​@@WeberAutothank you, I'm already wondering about your answer

[@DevilzzFA]

When someone teaches you something and you understand it while he doesnt't speak your mother tongue you know he is absolutely good. Great job you did there.

[@py1211]

For some reasons this video makes me believe Toyota engineering is the best and most reliable. Thank you professor.

[@garethbaus5471]

It pretty much is, especially the Prius.

[@educosta21]

As a kid I was into disassembling all the things. Thank you very much for giving me the same engineering satisfaction while allowing me to keep the car intact.

[@WeberAuto]

Awesome! Thanks for watching

[@timjohnson1199]

Me too. Well, don't disassemble this one, you'll never get it back together.

[@mikepro-ww5fg]

@@timjohnson1199 might not be 100 percent complete like the Japanese left it. But it think you could get it to work for a couple miles 😂

[@Indy_at_the_beach]

The design of this eCVT is absolutely brilliant. I stand in awe of the imagination of the engineers who dreamed it up.

[@rkgsd]

Actually the invention of the automatic transmission itself was brilliant for its time as was the manual tranny before that. Wet clutch/dry clutch automatics are nice little features too.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Not brilliant , pure Genius.

[@QuinnShaw]

It's surprisingly simple too. I mean it's obiously a comlex piece of machinery with lots of code and thought, but there really arent an extreme number of moving parts and everything is very robustly built. I can't imagine this thing failing very easily. It almost makes you wonder why you didn't think of it yourself.

[@rkgsd]

@@QuinnShaw As simplistic as they may be, there have been some reliability issues with CVTs in general. A good number of those were the Jacto units used in older Nissans.

[@QuinnShaw]

@@rkgsd yeah but these are designed totally differently. No belt/chain. All gear mesh… doesn’t even use clutches…

[@neilwerfel4591]

Perfect timing with this video as we just bought our new RAV4 Hybrid 3 days ago. How planetary gears work has always been more magic than physics to me but I think I now understand them. In John’s description of the eCVT and how MG1 varies it speed and direction, an analogy came to me. If I’m running on the ground I can vary my speed. If I’m on a moving sidewalk the sidewalk can vary its speed or even run backwards. This effects how much ground I’m covering. Mind blown.

[@johnsell6847]

9

[@mmcin719]

This video persuaded us to buy a Rav4 hybrid. The car is very good and very economical. After 2500km of a mix of freeway suburban and rural roads we are getting 5,5 litres per 100km. I anticipate that this transaxle and hybrid system will last for a very long time.

[@garywood60]

Thank you Sir I enjoy this program even though I will never use it. At 70 now and not the best health I do believe in the saying Never stop Learning. It helps to keep your mind sharp. Thank you and God Bless and keep y'all safe.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much. Best wishes

[@andrzejkwasny9895]

So do I!

[@paulstein9258]

Gary. Glad youngsters like you are still learning. As a senior, beyond your tender years, we retirees actually have time to read the manuals. As a result, I like the latest infotainment systems everyone complains about. Amazing how much the manuals help.

[@GuyIncognito764]

This is engineering at it's best. Multiple functions from every part and yet so simple and elegant. Reliability will be great. This will be in the car we buy later this year. Thank you for the great overview!

[@EA-wx7gw]

This is, BY FAR, the best explanation I saw about hybrid Toyota transmission Congratulations for such a superb video. After watching this I'm willing to buy a RAV4.Toyota should hire you ;-)

[@WeberAuto]

Corrections and Additions: 1. Addition: In EV mode, sling lubrication from gear movement is provided to drip channels that feed bearings, gears, and stator cooling. The RAV4 Prime uses an external electric oil pump for use in EV mode. 2. The 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid also uses the P710 transaxle. 3. Correction: At 27 minutes: In overdrive with MG1 spinning backward, the ICE RPM should be less than when it is in direct drive. I incorrectly said the ICE RPM was higher. 4. Correction: The BTE chart at 23:06 is the wrong one for this ICE, it is for the non-hybrid ICE variant known as A25A-FKS (The related experiment is done by EPA, which provides all the details), while the engine for the Hybrid RAV4 is A25B-FKS with a slightly higher peak efficiency to 41%. The BTE plot of A25B is different from the A25A, with lower maximum torque, and a much larger high-efficiency area (it reaches 38% efficiency at 80 Nm until 2500 RPM), and the peak efficiency point/area is shifted to the left/downside. Thank you to viewer rt te for catching my error.

[@koyrehme4361]

Can you confirm the teeth on the planetary gears? R=S+2P doesn't work. I suspect the planet gears have 24 teeth. The RAV4 hybrid should have an A25A-FXS, I thought.

[@WeberAuto]

I have verified the tooth count on the planetary gears, 30, 23, and 78 is correct.

[@Ian-iu2tl]

Superb! I was going to ask about the oil pump drive shaft that you said was driven by the engine crankshaft at engine speed. But I am assuming that the sling lubrication is what provides oil for cooling and lubrication and is what takes over when the internal combustion engine is not running. Correct?

[@WeberAuto]

@@Ian-iu2tl Thank you. You are correct

[@maxgood42]

I was thinking Toyota may also have a mode 10 for MG1, eg; EV mode, engine clutch pack open, to drive oil pump without crank shaft rotation?

[@tristanschaper281]

Thank you for a PERFECT video! Yes, perfect! I'm a technical engine and electrical guy, and I'm also thinking about buying a Highlander Hybrid as my next family car. I've been looking all over (including Toyota's site and literature) to figure out how the Hybrid worked both mechanically and electrically, AND how the sequence of operation worked. It honestly seems like Toyota does not provide any of this information anywhere to the car-buying public. Unfortunately most people really don't care. I am not one of those people, and you sure aren't either! You just got another subscriber, thank you!

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@fredpinczuk7352]

@@WeberAuto No, thank you!

[@aussiedeplorable8670]

Toyota should advertise this ECVT, people are unaware of how brilliant it is and how it is completely different to the belt driven CVT's.

[@TandNFox]

@@fredpinczuk7352 For someone with a mechanical and electrical mind this makes it much clearer to follow . It does make sense of economical driving practice and a reduction of wear and tear on all moving parts .

[@miriamvivo4279]

Muchas gracias for your time and excellent explanation

[@Archers2005]

A simple Thank You :) Just yesterday I found out that Toyota eCVT is nothing like conventional CVT and I had to know how it works. I'm not any engineer just an average Joe who owns RAV4 2019 and I like to know how things work. Knowledge such as this or any other mechanical knowledge always helps in diagnosis of any faults and potential labour and cost.

[@dangleduck9063]

Amazing that this level of detail and explanation can be found for free online. Thank you very much sir, learning more everyday

[@WeberAuto]

Thanks for watching

[@miriamvivo4279]

Amazing just joined

[@jonhansen4745]

What an Awesome presentation! Thank you, Professor Kelly for explaining the system so that even a novice can understand the basics. Your students are mighty fortunate to have you as a professor.

[@mickwilcox1216]

I'm not an engineer and I have to really concentrate to understand these concepts but, as Professor Kelly explains them so well, I can. 15 years ago I would have had absolutely no chance trying to understand it from engineering books and of course I wouldn't have had access to such a peerless teacher. So thank you Professor Kelly, not only for your explanations and demonstrations but also for knowing how to exploit KZbin to provide this experience. On the strength of watching it and being enthused by the technology I have bought a Suzuki Across (which is a rebadged Rav4 PHEV) so it was an expensive lesson!

[@AvocaSingleTrack]

In our search for a Rav4 , no one...not even the dealer explained eCVT like this . I had no idea it was not a belt cvt . Thanks for the explanation.

[@tails300]

This an extremely reliable transmission, even more so than conventional automatic or belt driven CVT.

[@erik_dk842]

@@tails300 Don't mention belt driven CVT and reliability in the same sentence.

[@roddyinscotland4968]

In the 1970’s, I studied Mechanical Engineering, thinking “they’ll always be needed”. And then I saw an electric drill where the speed was not changed by gears but electronically. Wow! Your video of Toyota’s eCVT is, for me, a similar lightbulb moment. Thank you very much for this clear and very understandable description.

[@LongFlowAdventures]

I'm a long term car geek that has done most of my own maintenance over the years, and am getting our first hybrid (a RAV4). This video is exactly what I was looking for to see how at least part of the new vehicle works! You did such a fantastic job on this video! What a gift for all of us learning how things work. Hats off to you sir!

[@tiberiu_nicolae]

I have nothing to do with cars except drive them, but this is an absolutely top-notch class. Clear, logical, and well paced. Excellent teacher.

[@rainschris]

Much appreciated! Leading up to the purchase of my RAV4 hybrid, I continually came up short when trying to find anything as in-depth as this just for my own understanding. Great video!

[@WeberAuto]

Great to hear!

[@ahmedyassir5569]

When he spun the gears by hand it really made me appreciate how far we have come in manufacturing precision no noise no vibration or wobbling and spins for long even without oil Nonetheless excellent video with so much info

[@JayDee-xj9lu]

At 5:07 I got worried he was going to jam his finger between the case and the gear. I was discussing this transmission at a car yard the other day and none of the salesman had a clue of how this transmission worked. Fascinating stuff.

[@mvcnj9700]

What an amazing tutorial. I am a Chemist by training. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed learning everything about the Toyota eCVT. have a much better understanding of this because you used the actual transmission to teach it and explained it in a carefully orchestrated sequence. Well done Professor!

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much!

[@Snadistsiistii]

Dear John, You’re amazing. The only additional thing I could ever hope for, is to have this class hands-on. Instructors like you are pure gold.

[@philipbearly6620]

As a retired mechanic/trainer at a now decommissioned nuclear power plant in Colorado, this brought back memories big time. It showed me that there is nothing new under the sun, just updated uses. Our reactor control rods had to be withdrawn and inserted both ways with power to prevent internal reactor region imbalances. We did this with 120 volt 3 phase power used to pull rods or control gravity insertion speeds. Like a glorified Jeep winch to power in or out, even had a small disc brake on the outboard of the motor shaft. Also, our 170 ton overhead crane had eddy current brakes and resistor banks to control multiple speeds when lowering any load. No way to catch that regeneration into batteries. All of this was late 1960's technology. Great presentation!

[@radar471]

Concise explanation without insulting the intelligence of the audience! Fantastic video, thank you!

[@wimschoenmakers5463]

I appreciate my Toyota Hybrid more and more understanding the great technical advances they build in my car. Thanks for this great video. Fourthy interesting minutes.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@henryhonda8408]

I'll be thinking about this video tomorrow while driving my new 5 month old Rav4 XSE hybrid. I now see why Toyota hybrids get better mileage on the highway than Honda hybrids. Before my new Rav4 hybrid I drove a 2019 Honda Insight, it was absolutely got incredible mileage in the city (up to 75 mpg - Imperial gal) but on the highway it was disappointing.... Rav4 gets a bit better mileage on the highway which is incredible being an suv.

[@gregbailey45]

Designed in cooperation with Tesla!

[@flexairz]

Planetary gears, electric motors, batteries and ICE's are not even close to technological advances. Have been here for at least 100 years. Its the combination that is interesting.

[@wimschoenmakers5463]

@@flexairz sure, but....... then a smart Toyota engineer did put them together to build a verry fuel efficiënt car that people still use after 25 years until today.

[@oveidasinclair982]

I loved this video, I would never purchase a CVT transmission car, but the simplicity and robustness in the breakdown of the eCVT changed my mind completely on these. I own a 2013 RAV4 FWD paired with a 6 speed standard transmission now, but when it's time for another vehicle, I will most definitely will be looking at one of these.

[@pdx650]

You must not be living in America, because there are no manual transmission available for that year in the US. Similarly, when in Germany in 2009, I saw that the, then new, Kia Sportage was available with a Diesel engine and a manual transmission. I wish those were available to the US market, but never were.

[@luizbruno2010]

@@pdx650standard automatic transmission

[@jayzee895]

You clearly don't know anything about engineering or transmissions and will believe anything someone tells you that's negative... Citation: my 07 Nissan with 195,000 miles on the ORIGINAL, OEM CVT... and my education as an engineer.

[@TheMajorLeagueGinger]

Did you change fluid? Many Nissans have cvt implosion due to dirty fluid since dealers claim it's lifetime fluid​@@jayzee895

[@rainerhasler135]

Unbelievable how much knowledge and intelligence was put in this gearbox. Respect to Toyota and Thanks to you John Kelly!

[@anwalt693]

I've watched this presentation twice now and learned as much the second time as I did the first. This is not because your explanation was unclear -- just the opposite. Rather, the first go-around I was repeatedly surprised, and thus a bit distracted. This is one of those educational experiences that bears repetition! Sincere thanks.

[@jazz2ba3]

John Kelly Is brilliant. He has a thorough understanding on mechanical apparatus. He has really done his homework. I can understand him well. Great video.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@alcantey]

That was great. I bought a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid and mistakenly thought it had a mechanical CVT. This makes me feel much better about my purchase! This a remarkable system. Amazing performance considering the fuel burn.

[@dude-hh9db]

your assumption is right. It is a remarkable technical solution.I bought an Auris Hybrid only because it has this system. Those systems have been reported to operate above 1000000 km in Prius vehicles.

[@alcantey]

@@dude-hh9db We're still running strong after almost 90K. No drive train issues at all and always in the right rpm to make max acceleration.

[@dude-hh9db]

​@@alcantey 90K, regardless if miles or km, this is nothing for any well engineered drive train. I had 2 hand shifted cars 320K and 356K km and sold them to Poland. They are for sure running there up to this day. My automated Mercedes gear has 250 K and now we come closer to the point if it's a good one or a bad one. I made an oil change at 180 K (gearbox oil change after 100 K is highly recommended, don't trust any person or company - like Mercedes Benz - saying that it's lifetime filling), and the workhop master was telling me it was a good decision! Thus: replace gearbox oil in your Toyota drivetrain after 180K km - latest, regardless what the workshop handbook is saying.

[@alcantey]

@@dude-hh9db just did the transmission fluid change a few days ago 👍🏼

[@pootispiker2866]

eCVTs are bulletproof, and doubly so from Toyota.

[@BLoudermilk]

After watching several eCVT videos I *finally* understand thanks to this one! Your explanations were extremely clear and the order in which you introduced components made it much easier to understand the difference between MG1/MG2. Thank you, Professor Kelly!

[@alejandromartinezhernandez1962]

Thank you professor Kelly. I appreciate your great teaching in this video. His students have a golden teacher. Greetings from León, México.

[@yt678901]

How clear the video is, not even a single thing was confusing. This will be one of the greatest videos on planet.

[@ShatNdd]

When the description of a vehicle operation is way more exciting & interesting than actual driving the car! :)

[@WeberAuto]

Lol! Thank you for watching

[@ShatNdd]

@@WeberAuto Thank you for the great videos you make! P.S. I wait when Toyota will implement MG1 mechanical lock to allow highway cruise using ICE only with no electric transfer losses.

[@MrPeteJMc]

Thank you. Will be thinking of this as I drive my RAV4. Very interesting.

[@Thegonagle]

Awesome! While the mechanics of Toyota, Ford, and similar ECVTs are easy to grasp, your explanation breaking their operation down to discrete modes has truly demystified the electronic magic behind them. Thank you, and I hope you have a great new year!

[@millomweb]

I think that's only due to the waffle. It's a vehicle with an engine that can drive a generator or road wheels or both or neither. Big deal. It's not even really a hybrid, more of an engine to generator to motor drive. The concept of MG1 not propelling the vehicle isn't quite true either as it shares that load with the engine - which, in turn is shared with MG2. With the accelerator fully to the floor, MG1 should be propelling the vehicle in order to keep the engine running at its max power output.

[@elcheapo5302]

Thank you, Professor. Mechanically, it's fairly simple. I'll bet the management software and logic was the real challenge.

[@WeberAuto]

You are welcome. I agree

[@paulg3336]

Actually, compared to controlling an ignition system or fuel injection, the software is simple. Everything is happening at a snail's pace by processor standards and there are few inputs to monitor.

[@ralanham76]

@@paulg3336 also the electrical motor s and system can react thousands of time per second so the response is even faster from the pedal input to the wheels

[@rotorblade9508]

In principle it doesn’t look that complicated, but it’s a lot of work a thousands of details, in designing the complete electrical system even for a normal car.

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

This and the honda system in the crv hybrid are cool as fck.

[@TL-xw6fh]

No one beats Toyota for sheer engineering brilliance! This design is simply amazing and the reason why Toyota Hybrids are so reliable and fuel efficient. It's such a simple design philosophy.

[@WeberAuto]

Thanks for watching

[@johnmehaffey9953]

Now I know why you are a professor, knowledge is good, getting the knowledge to the student is what defines a teacher , top work prof, greetings from Ireland

[@BarryKay-p4f]

I am on the wait list for a 2024 RAV4 hybrid… I wasn’t sure how it all worked but this professor explained in clear terms how it all worked. An amazing video.. thank you sir for making this video..

[@Gg7up]

This was amazing! It showed up in my suggestions because I looked up bunch of reviews for Toyota RAV4 hybrid 2019 XLE. Even though I'm a dentist and nowhere close to auto engineering, it's amazing to understand how my SUV works. Thank you very much!! Loved the video

[@WeberAuto]

Awesome, thank you!

[@jakegolliher2891]

I find it amazing that as a dentist you can understand this, yet I could never understand dentistry haha

[@MMWA-DAVE]

I will be provided one of these cars this year by my employer - thanks for the demonstration, I don't think they would have been to pleased with me pulling it apart to this extent simply to see how it works.

[@WeberAuto]

LOL, probably not

[@leekazan556]

You remind me of my Aircraft Mechanic license instructors that were just experts in their field. I truly enjoyed your lesson and presentation and knowledge. Thank you!

[@WeberAuto]

Wow, thanks!

[@zlvirag]

This is my second viewing of this presentation. I am still in awe, actually more so than at first, at the brilliance of the Toyota engineers that are responsible for this mechanical/electrical marvel. We bought our 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid not just because of Toyota's reputation, but also because of this marvellous eCVT. As a retired power mech teacher, I have great respect for your understanding of your subject and the ease of your delivery but mostly for your ability to make your viewers understand. thanks for this.....

[@capt251978]

Good job, homie!! I’ve worked for Toyota for going on 30 years and your videos are leagues better than factory training.

[@WeberAuto]

I appreciate that!

[@bendeleted9155]

Thank you! That was outstanding. Glad to know there are no belts in my transmission.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you

[@chrisherbert4454]

Only found out about this while looking at the RAV4 Prime as I was thinking that it’s amazing that the Prius and all of the other Toyota hybrids don’t seem to have transmission issues like so many other CVT’s

[@ciello___8307]

@@chrisherbert4454 yes, toyotas hybrids dont have traditional “cvt”s. Its essentially electric motors

[@nicholaslandolina]

Belts are ok

[@henryhonda8408]

@@nicholaslandolina I agree..... belts are good around the belly & crappy in a CVT

[@zerodefcts]

Thank you Professor Kelly! It's pretty neat how they designed the transaxle to handle numerous real-world driving scenarios. One of these days I hope to get a better understanding of how planetary gear sets actually work. The "power split device" seems almost magical.

[@WeberAuto]

Glad you liked it!

[@ivankuzin8388]

Hi! Take a look here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6TZh3dme8Z5aJo In that video they focus more on a planetary gears themselves and you can see them, which helped me with the same issue :)

[@MGXsport]

I bought a 2019 Prius XLE eAWD and a 2021 RAV4 XLE Hybrid mostly because of your deep dives into these transmissions. Keep up the great work and looking forward to seeing the rear motor axle videos!

[@WeberAuto]

That is awesome! Thank you very much

[@tdauthantic]

I am a surgeon , but I could understand your very detailed and precise accurate explanation , you made this very complex subject to most simple explanation that all can understand . Thanks for sharing

[@gavinsteven2157]

What an absolutely brilliant presentation. I have just bought the PHEV version and this has just blown my mind on the technical ability of Toyota in developing this e-CVT. Thank you

[@constantgatherer]

An amazing piece of engineering that people usually overlook. Thanks for doing these videos.

[@WeberAuto]

Glad you like them!

[@Luigi13]

Well thought out and beautifully explained? There is more appreciation knowing how all the parts function in a hybrid vehicle and how power is supplied. Thank you.

[@WeberAuto]

My pleasure!

[@ethanharris2897]

This is an extremely interesting teardown! It's so simple yet genius in design and very well explained. I'm a dork for stuff like this and this video made my day!

[@bobdadruma]

Thank You so much. I just bought a 2024 Toyota Venza and I am mesmerized as to how it works. The car is brilliant! Understanding how it works makes me even more impressed. After watching your video I can understand the magic of this technology.

[@davidwood4663]

We just purchased a RX 450h and I was searching for a description of the drive train. I had no idea of the simplicity of the mechanical design. No more "slush bucket" automatics after watching this description . This video is extremely well done.

[@HDJess]

This is so far my favorite transmission system. I wish all cars were made with something similar these days.

[@hilema41]

For people having issue figuring out the gear mechanism: Think of it as (mg1) walking on a treadmill (powered by the engine). Walking one direction makes you physically not move, being still on the mill makes you move the speed of the mill and walking the other direction makes you move at your speed+mill speed. Plus all the variations of speeds inbetween. Great technology I've seen a mockup made by a youtuber 10 years ago.

[@Mormielo]

So what's the energy contribution of MG1 to the motion of the car?

[@rlderemer]

From his example of 65 mph, MG1 supplies about 30 % of energy to move the car through the series electrical path of MG1 as the generator and MG2 as the motor. The remaining 70 % is transmitted directly through the mechanical path of engine to planet gears to ring gear in parallel with MG2 . The split of the power, thus the energy contribution, varies as the eCVT ratio changes. The system is a combination of a series and parallel hybrid system at the same time. The system has two advantages 1) the engine is always operating at optimum efficiency point for the load and 2) about 70 % of the power is transmitted through the mechanical path which is more efficient than a pure electrical path.

[@Mormielo]

@@rlderemer I mean mechanical contribution

[@rlderemer]

@@Mormielo It's contribution is electrical not mechanical. It enables the variable gear ratio. During highway driving it is used as a generator not a motor. The electrical power is used to power MG2. Many hybrid systems using 2 motors use the one connected to the ICE engine solely as a generator. These are called series hybrids. Examples are the latest Honda and Mitsubishi. These systems use the the first MG to generate electricity for the second MG. There is not a mechanical connection, except Honda has a clutch between the 2 motors at highway speeds to make a direct mechanical non-hybrid power flow.

[@ndufresne68]

Absolutely outstanding presentation. Thanks so much as I was steering clear of chain driven CVTs, whereas this is an extraordinarily ingenious use of the two motors to maintain car speed and the most efficient engine speed with few wearing parts. Congratulations Toyota!

[@Hogger280]

Toyota reports 41% BTE for the hybrid version of the A25A in the Camry(Comp Ratio of 14:1) and 40% in the non hybrid cars. That was an awesome presentation - the clearest and most comprehensive I have seen.

[@marclevain6377]

Thank you so much for this excellent explanation of this genial mechanism looking like more to a Swiss clock than a tranaxle. Your students are very lucky to have such a teacher. Every buyer of a Toyota should watch your video!!! I warmly recommend.

[@AllenReinecke]

Excellent explanation and delivery! As an engineer, I could sit in a lecture this good all day! I was looking to understand what type of CVT was in the RAV 4 and now I know. 👍👍👍 Glad to see a CVT being used correctly to have the engine run at its peak efficiency and one that's just a simple planetary geartrain.

[@WeberAuto]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ELGUAPOMOTO]

you sir are a walking mechanical engineering textbook! amazing explaination. Godbless your knowledge and effort to share everything here in KZbin. this is a goldmine!

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@johnglowatz6969]

Professor Kelly Thank you so much for these videos. I prefer to know a "little more" about my car than the average user and this is info even the salemen at the car dealers dont know. Because of your videos I have been able to make a confident decision on my next car between the Hybrid CRV and the Rav4 Prime. Keep up the excellent work!

[@WeberAuto]

Glad it was helpful!

[@johngibson2306]

Just a wonderful video, and I will just parrot what the retired GM engineer stated. Thank you Professor Kelly for giving me an understanding of how my RAV4 hybrid drive works.

[@68404]

Fascinating. Toyota, a traditionally conservative company when it comes to engineering, blew every other manufacturer out of the park when it introduced this technology. Thank you for such a great master class.

[@hawgbreath]

Excellent explanation of this amazing transmission. I learned a great deal from this thorough description of the components and their interactions. Toyota engineers are amazing and you are an excellent teacher!

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@wilkoone9155]

CVT transmission is definitely not amazing, in fact it is really inefficient not new as it has been used on combine harvesters for the last 60 years where the main benefit is the ability to change the forward speed whilst maintaining the optimal RPM for the threshing operation. History will prove that Toyota has done more to prevent the move to invironmental motoring just like Henry Ford did in 1907.

[@grumpyoleman2152]

Very interesting and I continue to be in awe of your smooth delivery... smoother, I believe than a gravy sandwich.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@brassboy77]

The elegance of this design surprised me. I had no idea that in many ways, this transmission is simpler than an standard automatic. I am not a mechanic or anything. Just like to see how things work. My son has one of these RAV 4 hybrids.

[@Микита-п9х]

I have no idea how I got here, but the explanation is so good that I couldn't leave untill the very end. Never knew people do such an amazingly detailed pure tech content here. Impressive!

[@98silver98]

came here to make sure this was not another weak cvt that will just fail easily. I am glad to see all the gears and seemingly no weak links here. Considering the new prius with the ecvt and needed to know what was actually going on in there. Best explanation on the internet. Thank you

[@sergey--24]

I've watched your video materials for a while and have to admit - they are amazing. Thanks for all your work.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@ericgosselin1947]

Amazing explanation of how the eCVT work ! Nice work and thank you for this great educational video. Keep them coming :)

[@WeberAuto]

Glad you liked it!

[@Diegoalvarezar]

You, John D. Kelly, are amazing! Great video and great explanation as always!

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@no-oneman.4140]

This guy is a genius. Brilliant.

[@KTMsteve]

fantastic video! I now understand how they managed to make it variable without a belt

[@markthompson3060]

Having just ordered a Rav 4 I found this video very interesting. Thank you.

[@WeberAuto]

Glad it was helpful!

[@laura-ann.0726]

Thank you, Professor Kelly, this was a very helpful video! I have not seen a better explanation of how varying the rotation speed and direction of MG1 creates an infinitely variable gear ratio between the ICE and the differential. I also really liked the chart of thermal efficiency for the ICE. I was aware that all reciprocating IC engines have a certain speed range where they are most efficient, but this is the first time I've seen this principle illustrated so cleary. 39% is amazing! That's getting close to the thermal efficiency of very large diesel engines, and the 2-stage steam turbines at electric power plants, that can achieve 45% efficiency under ideal conditions. I am on the wait list for a Rav4 Prime, so I will be very eager to see one of your "deep dive" videos on the P-810 when you can get one. This P-710 looks more or less identical to the P-610 in my Prius Prime, just with the parts scaled up in size and load capacity to handle a heavier vehicle with the more powerful 2.5 liter ICE. I assume that the internal workings of the inverter/converter for the Rav4 Prime are going to be pretty much the same as on my Prius Prime, just with much larger MOSFET chips on a bigger heatsink, to create the 3-phase current for MG2.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much! Thanks for watching

[@Normambo]

Highly informative, thank-you. This was my first video from your channel. Very much looking forward to your next video and especially for the Hybrid AWD Highlander. Thanks again.

[@WeberAuto]

Awesome, thank you!

[@tonyprice5344]

This is hands down the best instructional video on KZbin covering any subject. I have owned several Honda's with CVTs and just purchased a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid so I was curious as to how the CVT worked in the Rav4 versus the Hondas. Professor Kelly did a fantastic job at explaining it in great detail but also explaining it clearly making it easy to follow and understand. I am highly impressed with the design and function of this transmission. I live in Costa Rica and dependability is very important and this video gave a great deal of confidence in what I'll be driving. Thanks so much for this video.

[@ironmiketyo1966]

Thanks Prof. No long intro or outro. Smooth delivery of information. I now really appreciate the workings of my Corolla hybr

[@WeberAuto]

Glad you like them!

[@toninocars]

Wonderful job👍👋🚙 Best educational videos for hybrid cars. Thank you.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you

[@hybridsolutiondiagnostics]

As always the great professor with his amazing hybrid videos... thank you professor... great job...

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you very much

[@AlexRuark]

Literally been shopping for one for my wife to replace our second gen Prius... Nice timing my friend!

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you. Happy shopping

[@AlexRuark]

@@WeberAuto Bought one! Haha, thanks again!

[@sandwichxiii]

The fact that this is a free youtube video is astounding. Thank you for the breakdown.

[@shannondimmick3996]

It boggles my mind how Engineers came up with this! I understand how it works,but how they figured this out is amazing. Thank you Sir for the excellent description of how it works. You are amazing.

[@MetaView7]

Thanks. This is a beautiful piece of engineering.

[@WeberAuto]

Thank you

[@gregbailey45]

Thank Tesla too, it was a JV.

[@aymanwaleed5228]

Thank you, sir Believe me when I see new nifacation for new video, I feel good I miss this content in my Arabic world. Stay safe

[@WeberAuto]

So nice of you. Thank you

[@scottfurlong5475]

Thank you so much for this explanation. This was a very interesting class. I was looking at a RAV4 prime for one of our future vehicles and the very thought of a CVT transmission had me looking the other way. I had no idea that it was simply two electric motors working together. This eased my mind greatly. Subscribed!

[@tomjordan5832]

Magnificent engineering and presentation !!! I was with Toyota 11 years and was the inventor of Toyoguard in 1977. Capt. Tpm

[@jorgeangeleri9516]

Dear Mr Kelly. You are an amazing Professor. Thank you so much for your great, clear and brillant explanation. Cheers from Argentina.

[@jochcaso9998]

Thank you very much professor Kelly, a very technical and informative video as always!

[@WeberAuto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@parochial2356]

Professor; excellent intro training for us on new model Toyota EVs. Thanks!

[@WeberAuto]

Glad you liked it!

[@violinist86]

I just got a RAV4 hybrid, this video makes sssoo much sense on how hydrids work, oh and you got a subscriber

[@WeberAuto]

Awesome! Thank you very much

[@andrzejkwasny9895]

I am to have RAV4 hybryd soon. Very soon. Regards:)

[@rafaelgomez6194]

I had tried to study this transmission several times without success. Thank you for such a magnificent explanation. I have understood it very well.

[@VARITHMS]

The mechanical engineering is simple and it works well. The computer programming behind this must have endless hours of refining. Another excellent video, thank you.