Saying that the motor is the transmission is wrong. The would be like saying my hand is what changes gears in a manual because my hand moves the gear shift lever.

You all can choose not to call the Toyota tranny a CVT but it is. Saying that is isn't is like saying that a Beta tape is not a VCR tape. True a Beta is not a VHS but it is still a VCR.

http://home.earthlink.net/~graham1/MyToyot...s/Understanding

Clearly the PSD is the heart of the tranny. Saying that the PSD is "only" a differential is like saying that the heart of a regular CVT is only pulleys and belts. The function is what makes a givin part what it is.

Please follow the linked pages and check out the last page where it tells that the motor sometimes reverses direction and runs backward!