Each shaft has a cone-shaped pulley attached to it. The diameter of the pulley is adjustable, meaning it can be made wider or narrower. The two pulleys are connected by a drive belt made of rubber. The drive belt is designed to fit snugly around the pulleys and transmit power between them. By moving the rubber back and forward with the lever , the diameter of the pulley is adjusted so the gear ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft can be changed. When the input pulley has a larger diameter than the output pulley, the gear ratio is "low" and the vehicle can move up a hill or accelerate from a stop. When the input pulley has a smaller diameter than the output pulley, the gear ratio is "high" and the vehicle can achieve higher speeds.
