From: petertrei@gmail.com   
      
   On 10/7/2025 4:47 PM, Tim Merrigan wrote:   
   > On 10/7/2025 9:26 AM, Cryptoengineer wrote:   
   >> If fully autonomous cars are available, I can see *many* people   
   >> forgoing learning to drive by hand, just as few Americans   
   >> learn to use a manual transmission.   
   >   
   > One of my few objections to electric cars (as I understand, the motors   
   > in EVs drive the wheels directly, with no need for a drive train or   
   > transmission).  I learned to drive, at both my and my father's   
   > insistence, with a manual transmission, and have been driving one for   
   > most* of my life since.   
   >   
   > * I've owned one automatic, and all IC rentals are automatic.   
   >   
      
   In my Tesla, I understand that the motor has a 3:1 reduction gear   
   before reaching the wheels. There are no other gears. At least one   
   EV (Porsche??) has gears, but I think they're automatic.   
      
   For me, the 'lack of control' over the gear ratio is more than   
   made up for by the instant torque. Even in the slowest model, I can   
   leave 95% of other cars in the dust, and pass with ease at   
   speed.   
      
   pt   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)