Auto or manual

Soldato
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The T50 can also be bought with a paddle shift auto, and this is the only gearbox available on the track version.

Ferrari stopped selling manuals as when they introduced the F1 gearbox something like 95% of their customers went for it, so there was no point in offering the alternative. Same with the Golf R estate. Auto sales in the hatch was over 90%, so no point in offering the manual. As for the Alpine, its exceeded its sales targets, so not really a flop.



6 speeds gives you better performance as you can use lower and closer ratios for 1-5 and have 6th that is taller than the existing 5th.

Strength is only going to be an issue if the 6 speed box that uses the same (or very similar) size envelope to the 5 speeder. If the box is a ground up design for 6 speeds then it can be made large enough to accommodate gears that are as large as, if not larger, than the 5 speed ones.


Though GM says only 1 person ordered an auto.

Rumors are the A110 is going to be canned soon :/
 
Soldato
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The Renault F1 team is rebranding to Alpine for next year. Also, one of this years Rebellion LMP1 cars has been bought by the Signatech Alpine to be run under the grandfathering rules in next years Hypercar class so I suspect that the demise of the Alpine is somewhat premature.
 
Soldato
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That doesn't mean they will keep making it though. They will probably just start slapping "Alpine" badges on rep mobiles, like Merc do with AMG.
 
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Soldato
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An electric car that is particularly noteworthy for it's use of a two speed transmission, something I'm not sure any other electric car currently has?

The i8 has a two-speed GKN transmission for its front (electric) axle, which was the first modern set-up of its type, and that's been around since '14. Not a pure EV, mind! :)

a video that resumes the issue - interesting that cvt boxes couldn't yet take the power of many ev motors.
Could Electric Cars Have A Manual Transmission?

A CVT could withstand the torque output of an electric motor if you wanted it to. I remember driving Multitronic (CVT) diesel Audis about ten years ago and those had up to 295lb ft, which is 50-odd more than that produced by the motor in, say, a Nissan Leaf. Okay, that doesn't sound impressive – but CVTs get used in industrial kit, too, so the torque capacity is there if you really wanted it.

Many older electric cars had multi-ratio manual or automatic transmissions but one more modern example (albeit one that didn't make production) is the Detroit Electric SP.01. Your comment on the video just reminded me of it; it was based on an Elise would have had a four-speed manual transmission as standard – although you could reinstate fifth and sixth if you wanted. It was probably the OEM Toyota box, I would have thought, just with the top two ratios locked out by default. :)

Obviously, in both cases, you have to discount the fact that you don't really need a multi-ratio or continuously variable transmission in most electric car applications. :D

The demise of the manual gearbox is more due to the driving aids that are slowly becoming mandatory.

Yeah, definitely a big part of it. It's much easier to integrate and enable safety, convenience and emissions-reducing functions with automatic transmissions – and manual gearboxes can be a packaging and assembly faff.

Those are among the reasons that Kia/Hyundai introduced a clutch-by-wire system recently – it basically looks like a manual and drives like a manual, and retains the otherwise typically lighter and cheaper transmission, but it allows for automated engine-off coasting and is less convoluted to design and put together than a standard manual set-up (among other benefits).
 
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Associate
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The demise of the manual gearbox is more due to the driving aids that are slowly becoming mandatory. Besides what's the point of a car that can drive itself in traffic, such as my A4, then have a manual gearbox...

ironically a manual car provides far better control of a car than sitting at the wheel reading the times, some people like it nice and simple and as quoted previously you cant beat a 6 speed manual stick with close sharp concise gears between 1-5 and a longer 6th for wafting around.
 
Associate
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This is a clip from a year ago, and that white van was annoying so I decided to leave him annoy someone else at the slip road. No chance can an auto box match the swift response you get from a manual, especially none of the diesel manuals I had the misfortune of driving

I should point out most of the dislikes are from the motley crew at piston heads who drive BMWs ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7_ipKnqw7Y
 
Associate
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yes - I wondered to what extent the manual/automatic paradigm was really dead with ev's, and whether, beyond supercars, it could have a benefit in everyday evs.

a video that resumes the issue - interesting that cvt boxes couldn't yet take the power of many ev motors.
Could Electric Cars Have A Manual Transmission?

electric gears don't need a manual box, they are electric motors they don't even need reverse gear
 
Soldato
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electric gears don't need a manual box
it's not black and white

when you start off in your ev, you're pulling lots of amps from the battery(heat/degradation), and the best ev motor efficiency is at a higher rpm,
so, there could be merit in a clutch+gearbox to keep the motor in the 'band', and protect the batterynhs, despite the weight and mechanical complexity.

eg https://evmc2.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/electric-motor-power-really-simple-and-hp-ratings/

50369426766_26439c2ec6_o_d.jpg
 
Soldato
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That’s a pm motor anyway
the same article covers the tesla reluctance, but, those may have the typical flatter torque you see depicted, because you have to limit the iniial current draw,
to allow for battery capability and transmission, but motor has same underlying curve..
 
Soldato
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This is a clip from a year ago, and that white van was annoying so I decided to leave him annoy someone else at the slip road. No chance can an auto box match the swift response you get from a manual, especially none of the diesel manuals I had the misfortune of driving

I should point out most of the dislikes are from the motley crew at piston heads who drive BMWs ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7_ipKnqw7Y

I'm not sure what you're attempting to prove with this video. You're claiming that your ability to accelerate away from a van down a sliproad was purely due to having a manual gearbox, and that such a move would be impossible with an automatic?
Pretty certain you would have been able to do that just as swiftly in a similarly fast car with a modern automatic box.

No chance can an auto box match the swift response you get from a manual

Not quite sure what you mean by "swift response" here. If you're referring to how swiftly it can physically change gears, this is not true. I don't think there's any argument that an automatic gearbox can shift gears more quickly than you can with a manual.
If you're talking about swiftness in more general terms, ie how quickly the car responds while remaining in gear...then what relevance is the gearbox if you aren't shifting? The "swiftness" is more a function of other factors - power, weight, traction etc.
 
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Caporegime
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I really don't get that "white van" video at all. All I see is a relatively slow run down a slip road, culminating in being alongside a MK3 mondeo, potentially over the solid line to the chevrons, after the slip should have merged back into a single lane.

Video certainly doesn't prove that manuals are a better choice, but does prove that you drive like a bell, like 99% of dashcam warriors.
 
Caporegime
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This is a clip from a year ago, and that white van was annoying so I decided to leave him annoy someone else at the slip road. No chance can an auto box match the swift response you get from a manual, especially none of the diesel manuals I had the misfortune of driving

I should point out most of the dislikes are from the motley crew at piston heads who drive BMWs ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7_ipKnqw7Y
I’m sure a dct box would beat any manual gearchange.
 
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