Variable valve timing (VVT) and variable valve lift (VVL) have very similar names, both referring to variable valve performance. Does that mean that they are basically the same thing? The are most ...

Engines are complex bits of machinery. At their core level, yes, it's easy to understand what is happening. Air and fuel enter the engine where they are ignited and combustion occurs resulting in ...

Brian Cooley is CNET's Editor at large and has been with the brand since 1995. He currently focuses on electrification of vehicles but also follows the big trends in smart home, digital healthcare, 5G ...

The jargon goes well beyond just names. Car specs are full of abbreviations that may or may not have any meaning at first glance. And sometimes we get so used to seeing those abbreviations that we may ...

The letters VVEL are important to the architecture of Nissan engines. Those four letters stand for Variable Valve Event and Lift. What that refers to is a Nissan engine that operates without the use ...

VTEC is an acronym for a variable valve-timing system used on Honda and Acura models since 1989. The full name is variable valve timing and lift electronic control, and the first U.S. model with VTEC ...

Last month's "How It Works" story gave you the basics of the four-stroke cycle, describing the motion of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the piston moving up and down in the cylinder.

Valve train improvements are an important part of the continued efficiency advancements of internal combustion engines. Today's electronics allow more precise control and different approaches to valve ...

While the engineering community continues to explore the benefits of electric and hybrid vehicles—i.e., the environmental and renewable energy factors—the automotive market is still dependent on ...