Electric vehicle sales outpace manual transmission for the first time

[Bubbajim]

What just happened? In the automotive world, manual transmission cars and electric vehicles (EVs) are both considered niche products right now. But interestingly, after a decade on the market, EV sales have finally outpaced stick-shift cars for the first time in the US – though that’s still not saying much.

In a tiny sign-of-the-times, electric vehicle sales have for the first time exceeded sales of manual transmission cars, accounting for 1.9% and 1.1% respectively of vehicles sold in the US last quarter.

Uptake of vehicles with manual transmissions has been declining for decades, as more drivers opted for automatic cars, and fewer models are made every year that require drivers to stick-shift. In the third quarter of 2019, manual transmission sales accounted for a paltry 1.1% of car sales in the United States.

That gives some context as to why this is a slightly underwhelming milestone for hybrid and fully-electric vehicles. EVs have been around for quite a while, and are seen by many as an integral part of the transition away from fossil fuels. The fact that they account for less than 2% of vehicles sold will come as disappointing news to some.

Yet EV adoption is slowly on the rise with more manufacturers announcing new electric models all the time, and EV-only producing company Tesla has had two record-setting quarters in a row.

The factors limiting EV uptake, including concerns around range, lack of charging stations, or price, are diminishing bit by bit, so that 1.9% market penetration is likely to continue rising. That said, even though technology popularized during the 2010s has finally outpaced technology from the 1890s, there’s still a long road ahead before it's anywhere close to take over combustion engine vehicles.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/82704-electric-vehicle-sales-outpace-manual-transmission-first-time.html

 

[Adi6293]

In UK and probably most of Europe people drive manual transmission cars

 

[Irata]

EV are nothing new - afaik they were actually more popular than internal combustion engine powered vehicles in the early days of the automobile.

 

[Uncle Al]

It's coming baby .... it's coming .....

 

[hahahanoobs]

In UK and probably most of Europe people drive manual transmission cars

Makes sense. North America uses automatic transmissions to improve gas mileage.
Europe does it with engines, I think.

 

[hahahanoobs]

US standards are strict on Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM), while the EU is strict on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO). In other words, European regulators are focused on fuel efficiency to limit the dependency on crude oil from Russia and the Middle East, and on greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. On the other hand, American regulators are focused on smog and health impacts of air pollution.

 

[koblongata]

It will take less time than most think.. as ICE car resale value will drop very quickly in coming years, people would think twice before getting a new car.

 

[yRaz]

US standards are strict on Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM), while the EU is strict on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO). In other words, European regulators are focused on fuel efficiency to limit the dependency on crude oil from Russia and the Middle East, and on greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. On the other hand, American regulators are focused on smog and health impacts of air pollution.

And that's why diesel vehicles make up about half of European cars where as even most none commerical trucks in the US use gas.

Although people don't account for the fact the EV manufacturing accounts for more pollution over the life of the vehicle than that of a normal ICE engine.

Very little about electric vehicles is green. Most electronics in them are made in China and you more than likely are powering them with coal. Mining lithium produces tons of CO2 and so does the battery manufacturing process. Then the batteries are put on container ships that run on buncher fuel, essentially heated tar left over from petroleum distillation. You will most commonly encounter this as the binding agent is asphalt.

Who do these EV people think they're kidding? If everything from mining, shipping and manufacturing was run on renewables or green energy, fine, they are greener. But more than likely even the electricity going into the batteries is made by coal

 

[captaincranky]

I think we should say "screw it" to all this haggling over what is least damaging to the environment, and go back to coal fired steam boilers...

 

[koblongata]

And that's why diesel vehicles make up about half of European cars where as even most none commerical trucks in the US use gas.

Although people don't account for the fact the EV manufacturing accounts for more pollution over the life of the vehicle than that of a normal ICE engine.

Very little about electric vehicles is green. Most electronics in them are made in China and you more than likely are powering them with coal. Mining lithium produces tons of CO2 and so does the battery manufacturing process. Then the batteries are put on container ships that run on buncher fuel, essentially heated tar left over from petroleum distillation. You will most commonly encounter this as the binding agent is asphalt.

Who do these EV people think they're kidding? If everything from mining, shipping and manufacturing was run on renewables or green energy, fine, they are greener. But more than likely even the electricity going into the batteries is made by coal

China is moving towards a green energy future faster than anyone else, it's the US wants to fall back on coals.

A lot more first world countries are now mining lithium with better and more efficient technologies.

Stop burning fuels around in our cities and in our neighborhoods, that much CONCENTRATED toxic fumes in our everyday life contributed to more premature deaths than climate change.

 

[yRaz]

China is moving towards a green energy future faster than anyone else, it's the US wants to fall back on coals.

A lot more first world countries are now mining lithium with better and more efficient technologies.

Stop burning fuels around in our cities and in our neighborhoods, that much CONCENTRATED toxic fumes in our everyday life contributed to more premature deaths than climate change.

China is building both more green energy stations than us and more coal power plants that us. They are expanding their energy grid faster than we are and even though their percentage of green energy plants is higher, they are still building TONS of coal. And as far as pollution goes, China is the worst in the world MAYBE behind India.

Further, why are you defending a country that uses child slave labor to undercut other countries economically? They have suicide nets around their factories

 

[p51d007]

I saw somewhere, there is someone making an electric POWERED all wheel drive vehicle that uses a TINY ICE to generate the power. That would be the better way to go, since a generator doesn't require a lot of torque to generate current. The ICE would be small and use a smaller amount of fuel to generate the current for the electric motors.

 

[captaincranky]

I saw somewhere, there is someone making an electric POWERED all wheel drive vehicle that uses a TINY ICE to generate the power. That would be the better way to go, since a generator doesn't require a lot of torque to generate current. The ICE would be small and use a smaller amount of fuel to generate the current for the electric motors.

Don't they already call those things "hybrids"? Or at the very least, this is just branch of that technology.

Something that most people aren't aware of, is that the diesel engines in "diesel locomotives", don't power the the wheels. The engines power generators, for the electric motors which actually DO power the wheels.

The mechanical hurdles involved in creating transmissions which would drive the wheels directly, and accept that level of abuse, is almost insurmountable.

Ya want all electric? All ya had to do, (since 1935), is plug these biddies in.

 

[m4a4]

I saw somewhere, there is someone making an electric POWERED all wheel drive vehicle that uses a TINY ICE to generate the power. That would be the better way to go, since a generator doesn't require a lot of torque to generate current. The ICE would be small and use a smaller amount of fuel to generate the current for the electric motors.

Yeah, but the law of diminishing returns says that using a tiny ICE to generate electricity is less efficient than just using that energy immediately for locomotion.

 

[captaincranky]

Yeah, but the law of diminishing returns says that using a tiny ICE to generate electricity is less efficient than just using that energy immediately for locomotion.

Here again, isn't this simply a hybrid, or preexisting technology, as I mentioned above, in regard to long extant railroad protocol? Sorry, I meant "railroad solutions". I don't want to seem out of touch with "the future".

 

[captaincranky]

EV are nothing new - afaik they were actually more popular than internal combustion engine powered vehicles in the early days of the automobile.

But way back then, you most likely still needed a team of draft horses to tow the damned things home if the battery went dead.

Perhaps even this magnificent Shire's great grandfather...

 

[m4a4]

Here again, isn't this simply a hybrid, or preexisting technology, as I mentioned above, in regard to long extant railroad protocol? Sorry, I meant "railroad solutions". I don't want to seem out of touch with "the future".

It would, by definition, be a hybrid. As it uses battery power, and generated (by ICE) power.

 

[koblongata]

China is building both more green energy stations than us and more coal power plants that us. They are expanding their energy grid faster than we are and even though their percentage of green energy plants is higher, they are still building TONS of coal. And as far as pollution goes, China is the worst in the world MAYBE behind India.

Further, why are you defending a country that uses child slave labor to undercut other countries economically? They have suicide nets around their factories

China is building both more green energy stations than us and more coal power plants that us. They are expanding their energy grid faster than we are and even though their percentage of green energy plants is higher, they are still building TONS of coal. And as far as pollution goes, China is the worst in the world MAYBE behind India.

Further, why are you defending a country that uses child slave labor to undercut other countries economically? They have suicide nets around their factories

China = 27.2% of global emission, population: 1.4 billion.
US = 14.6% of global emission, population: 327 million.

US is far worse...

Child labor? that's very much a thing of the past already. Especially in tech sector.

Suicides? the factory complex has 1 million workers living there, the suicide rate is far lower than the least suicidal cities in the world.

 

[captaincranky]

China = 27.2% of global emission, population: 1.4 billion.
US = 14.6% of global emission, population: 327 million....[ ]....

You seem to have the art of, "engineering statistics to say what whatever you want" down pat.

Bluntly, the "pollution per capita" is meaningless for all practical purposes. The total amount of pollution is all that matters.

Thus, when I take your stats, and give them my take, China pumps almost twice the crap into the atmosphere as does the US. Fact!

...[ ]....Suicides? the factory complex has 1 million workers living there, the suicide rate is far lower than the least suicidal cities in the world...[ ]....

Maybe I should put a little reverse English on that little spitball as well. So that means you have 1,000,000 people who can't afford the products they produce, crammed into a labor camp? Sounds delightful.

At Foxconn you're not allowed to commit suicide, .that's what the nets around the dormitories are for.

I guess you could say that the freedom to end one's life if one so chooses, is yet another aspect of liberty the Chinese people don't enjoy. Well, Catholics technically aren't allowed to commit suicide either, but that's because if you're dead, the pope can't collect any more money from you. Forget the "mortal sin" nonsense, the more church members you have, the more money gets sent to that Vatican.

Now run along and play your little propaganda, "fun with numbers" game with a few 2nd graders. Maybe you can get some traction with your BS on them.

 

[krizby]

American can't drive stick shift even when their lives depend on it lol.

 

[captaincranky]

American can't drive stick shift even when their lives depend on it lol.

I actually can, in spite of the fact, I was born here in the US, and have never even left the country.

In fact, I've driven 10, 12, & 15 speed stick transmissions in semi-trailors, and currently own a motorcycle which is a 5 speed manual trans, It shifts with the left foot, so technically it doesn't rate the colloquial term "stick shift", since no actual such device is used.

Modern automatics are far more reliable than in past decades, and as you can waste as much or more gasoline improperly operating a manual transmission, or not bothering to properly inflate your tires, there's no point to owning a pleasure car with a standard transmission. Thus, if there's no point to learning to drive stick, why punish yourself learning to do so.

If you think that being preoccupied with feathering the throttle and clutch to hold your car steady going uphill at a traffic light gives you some sort of badge of honor or bragging rights, you're more than welcome to it.

Although I'll grant you that if people the world over, had to pay more attention to their driving by virtue of having standard transmissions in their cars, and less time to screw around with their stinking cell phones, our roads would be much safer places.

 

[treetops]

Welcome to the club pal.

 

[captaincranky]

Welcome to the club pal.

@treetops This is cute as hell, but I'm a bit confused as to what my takeaway should be in relation to the thread, and/or my posts to it.

(Although completely off topic is cool. I do it all the time myself).

 

[wiyosaya]

And that's why diesel vehicles make up about half of European cars where as even most none commerical trucks in the US use gas.

Although people don't account for the fact the EV manufacturing accounts for more pollution over the life of the vehicle than that of a normal ICE engine.

Very little about electric vehicles is green. Most electronics in them are made in China and you more than likely are powering them with coal. Mining lithium produces tons of CO2 and so does the battery manufacturing process. Then the batteries are put on container ships that run on buncher fuel, essentially heated tar left over from petroleum distillation. You will most commonly encounter this as the binding agent is asphalt.

Who do these EV people think they're kidding? If everything from mining, shipping and manufacturing was run on renewables or green energy, fine, they are greener. But more than likely even the electricity going into the batteries is made by coal

Yeah, and a Hummer was greener over its lifetime than a Prius - at least until that was resoundingly debunked as a paid smear campaign.

I bet most of the that EVs are MORE resource intensive and MORE polluting than ICE vehicles can be easily traced back to the oil industry. Now why would that be? Oh, yeah, on all fronts EVs use almost ZERO oil, where as oil is indispensable to an ICE vehicle.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Manufacturers: "there isnt a market for manual cars"

Also manufacturers: "ELECTRIFY ALL THE THINGS"

This is why I hate the auto industry. All the positive press and "newness" yet similar sales are seen as an excuse to kill the 3 pedal.