In 20 years or less this will sound as stupid as if some "innovator" of the early automobile days had added a galloping motion to car seats or a lever you could pull to dump fake manure in the middle of the road.

Look, I really enjoy driving a car with a manual transmission, and I will probably own one until they are as expensive to own as a horse is currenrly. But I can't for the life of me imagine why someone would take a system that has none of the disadvantages of a manual transmission system, and... add them back in a completely superficial way for some reason.

I don't think I like it. No judgement for others but I don't like cars with fake vents and I'm sure I won't like cars with fake transmissions.

I think there is value in a transmission in EVs. While they don't really need under gears they do need overdrive to get better highway mileage. And I imagine if we put weaker engines we could use under gears to get the performance with less of a power drain.

Some cars first gear is over 3:1 while others it's closer to 2:1.

This is so dumb. A manual transmission is one way to solve for the power band of ICEs. EVs don't have this issue. Why create it?

So its cosplay for cars? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

All the work and effort needed to eek out the most performance from an ICE car is an understandable act. For purists that don't mind the effort they can achieve something that most can't in ICE. For those that can't we just watch and appreciate their talents.

However for EV none of that is necessary and in fact introducing manual "rev limits" or limitations or speed or performance at certain vehicle speeds to simulate the shortcomings of an ICE car (with a narrow power band that defines the limit of the technology) is the opposite of "extra effort for extra performance". Its "reduced performance for extra effort". Its making a thing look and act like another thing purely for cosmetic reasons.

I have no problem if people want to do this or buy vehicles that have this, but its not something I'm interested in.

Maybe it would be more engaging to drive, but it's just more expense and more to go wrong.

I'm counting down the days honestly. I prefer small manual hatchbacks and nobody's making them. Had to sell my fiesta when we moved and even though I miss it, I'll never buy ford again.

In the meantime though, while I'm waiting for these magical shifting EVs, I grabbed a 2001 Honda insight. Older ones had a manual option. 61mpg.

This is completely unsurprising to me. It is just like how focus groups wanted "gear shifts" on CVTs because the more efficient steady RPM was disconcerting to them. Yes it feels like delaying the inevitable but sometimes the general public needs to be gently transitioned (yes I know all of this is refuted by the success of gearbox-less EVs).