Correlation of political views and car drivership

[muon2]

I drive a hybrid, so I didn't answer the poll. I know manual transmissions exist for hybrid drivers that demand one. However, a manual transmission makes no sense to me when one is trying to optimize power to the drive train from both the electric and gasoline engines as well as deliver power to recharge the batteries.

[muon2]

I assume from the posts that hybrids aren't much of an option in Europe. Hybrids run best with a continuously variable transmission (or equivalent) and no fixed gear ratios like in either a manual or conventional automatic transmission.

[muon2]

I knew that there were far more people driving automatic in the States than here... but I'm a bit suprised over how large that margin is, actually. Judging from your posts, pretty much everyone drives automatic?

I assume from the posts that hybrids aren't much of an option in Europe. Hybrids run best with a continuously variable transmission (or equivalent) and no fixed gear ratios like in either a manual or conventional automatic transmission.

There are hybrids around, but afaik at least a portion of them also come with manuals.

As I understand it, hybrids with manual transmissions are largely for European drivers. An electric motor can run with a single fixed gear transmission (Nissan Leaf, Tesla, VW e-Golf, BMW i3). The gas motor on a hybrid needs to change gear ratios so a manual shift transmission can be used. That seems to be more to driver taste, since the combined motor works better with a continuous field of gear ratios rather than a fixed set. That seems to be why European manufacturers have stayed with fixed gear transmissions for hybrids, while US and Japanese makers go with variable drives.