The CVT initial obtained prominence in 1910 when Zenit Motorcycles developed a CVT design which was so economical it was banned from hill climbing competitions. Better cost.  For any supplied standard of energy-transmitting capability, a hydrostatic CVT is going to be more expensive to supply than an equivalent geared transmission.  https://gearboxcvt74950.blogunteer.com/33152320/the-basic-principles-of-gearbox-cvt