The unintended consequence of electric vehicles: More demand for manual transmissions

I assume they’re referring to more general situations, not just racing. Take driving in snow/icy conditions for example - you can just disengage the clutch and coast if you start to slide to regain traction and then re-engage the clutch with minimal effort.

It is super circumstantial and the learning curve is far steeper with a manual to be able to get to that level of expertise.

I’d love to argue MTs are superior but at this day and age, they’re just for a different type of person. Nothing wrong with that.

 

I feel like some people are missing the point of the article I posted. It’s not a debate about which type of transmission is better. It’s about the fact the there is still some demand for manual transmissions (mostly in the sports car market). I didn’t know Toyota was coming out with a car that will only offer a manual transmission nor did I know that some sports car models sell 50% with manuals.

 

"Toyota Patents Plans For EV With Manual Transmission And Clutch"

https://insideevs.com/news/566896/toyota-electric-vehicle-manual-transmission/

 

Come up north where we have snow and ice for 6 months. I can tell you 100% a manual transmission is far superior in terms of slowing down via downshifting, compared to braking on this type of terrain without losing traction as easy. No ABS, traction control or other nanny feature going to beat this method.

 

I mean I lived in Colorado and Wyoming for almost a decade and somehow survived with my 5th Gen 4Runner which had the clunky 5AT that’s essentially a 6 speed minus a better highway gear.

 

My automatic transmission engine-brakes just fine. I can go all the way down to 1st if I want

 

I'm stealing this from a conversation about Tesla's: "My microwave can cook a hamburger faster than my BBQ, but I don't want a hamburger cooked in a microwave."

 

So, in other words you're just simulating a manual transmission downshifting lol.

 

...and then we have the Air Fryer boys! "My air fryer cooks it faster than microwave oven and makes it taster than the grill!"

 

You leave my beloved air fryer out this this!

 

I was speaking about me. I love my air fryer and have posted a lot of stuff that I cooked in it, in the Foodies thread.

 

Yep and I don't mind at all. I drove MT vehicles my whole life up until this 2015. I got tired of shifting in traffic

 

In most vehicles, nothing.

For the 3rd generation Tacoma, a driving experience free of the much maligned 6AT, and interestingly according to instrumented tests, it’s actually faster to 60 and in the quarter mile.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15102428/2016-toyota-tacoma-v-6-4x4-manual-test-review/

For my driving experience the manual is far superior to the automatic in terms of the intangibles which cannot be measured in an instrumented test. I will give up fastest laps, higher fuel economy, etc for the sheer joy I get from rowing gears. I had an automatic 2G Tacoma and always missed rowing my own gears. When I had a chance to get a do-over, I read the reviews of the shifting logic and it was an easy choice. I’ve yet to regret it.

 

The article details the trend that it's not just noise, but a marked increase in actual demand and sales that mfgs are responding to. They wouldn't have designed an all new MT, after the launch of the Celica, unless they thought it lucrative. If Toyota made more MT Tacos, that percentage would rise significantly. They are in very high demand and I had to bust my ass to find one.

 

Because MT Tacomas get 4.30 gears while AT trucks are stuck with a 3.91 axle ratio.

 

Very true. While manuals may have been only 3.9% of sales, Toyota and any other company that is smart with data metrics is also looking at their website search and configuration inputs, how many days different configurations of vehicles are sitting on lots, etc.

 

I can downshift my automatic too, don't even have to mess with a clutch.

I've been driving trucks and SUV's for almost 50 years and have had 15 different vehicles. Eight were manuals, seven automatics. Thirty plus years ago you could make an argument that a manual had some advantages. Today, especially in a truck, automatics do everything better.

In a sports car I can see where a manual could still be fun to drive. But that is exactly why manuals are at a disadvantage in modern trucks. Modern engines which need high rpm in order to make power aren't a good mix with a manual in a truck needed to pull or haul. If you drive your Tacoma like a sports car then a manual can be fun to drive. If you need it to do work, buy the automatic.

 

I have been driving the same steep passes for the last 30 years. Last 10 in a 14 Fj, 13 Taco, and a 19 tundra. All auto. Every single one will break the rear end loose if you realize you are coming up on a stranded car with people standing in the road and decide to downshift manually. The ecu dosent care what the road conditons are, it will slam it into gear and then activate vsc/trac to try and get your ass end back in your lane. And on a banked steep road that is a recipe for a sled ride. Driving any kind of grade with other drivers around you, every little thing that helps you stay in control is worth it. But hey I dont like Toyotas agressive abs in the snow either, so its probably just a me issue.

I also have had many manual rigs currently a 88 samurai and a 98 T100. They are both much better in slick conditions. Feathering the clutch is a thing for both downshifts and upshifts.

 

Manufacturer looks at 3.9% and thinks that if they drop the manual you'll buy the Taco anyway. They won't lose many people, and wouldn't really gain NEW customers by offering more manuals: just converted AT folks. They look at the cost vs payback. Standardization=more profitability. Sux

I always have one manual in the house fleet although my Taco is an AT.

 

I can not think of any reason to own a manual other than super heavy haulers or something with tight gearing and light weight. It's personal preference, control has little to do with it.