Push button shift system: Love it or hate it?

Say what? That's not even remotely what this discussion is about. I guess you're trying to change the subject rather than admit you've lost the argument.

However, even PEVs -- both PHEVs and BEVs -- need some sort of control to put the car into neutral, reverse, and park, whether you call that a "gear shift" or something else.

Yes, here we are in total agreement. It's called "creep". I always hated creep in an automatic transmission gasmobile, and it's one of the reasons I always preferred a standard transmission to an automatic.

Nothing has surprised me more about EV makers making EVs that pointlessly imitate the behavior of gasmobiles than putting a "creep" function into their EVs. I find it truly bizarre that some EV makers try so hard to give their EVs the "look and feel" of a gasmobile, rather than taking advantage of the ways in which EVs are superior to gasmobiles!

It's as if the maker of an early horseless carriage put a buggy whip holder into his motorcar... because, you know, the driver might miss having a place to put his buggy whip!

 

Sure, that's why I said the gear selector should be a lever or a knob. As you say, there's no engineering reason to stick with a lever, since no mechanical connection exists anymore. I agree that a knob activating a virtual shifter is likely to become the norm. In fact, I thought it already was, even in automatic transmission gasmobiles these days. Some of the newer models have a virtual shift knob, even if not all of them do. As you say, automatic transmission cars don't really need a lever; a selection knob works just as well, and perhaps it's more ergonomic (easier to reach) since you can put it on the center console instead of mounting a lever behind the steering wheel, or as a stick shift on the floor.


The Edsel push button gear selector

A more modern automatic transmission gasmobile's gear selector:


Gear selector knob on a 2015 Chrysler 200 (gasmobile)

​

 

I like both pics for their aesthetics, but if I had to rock a car out of a slippery spot or do a three point turn without looking, the new shift controls would test my motor skills and executive planning!

 

Change what subject? Lost argument? We are talking about the knob vs button and why it is unnecessary to have a knob on the car because the car DO NOT need a shifter anymore like you described in your previous message. And yes all EV need some sort of control to set the car in drive/reverse/park and that's why they have the panel with those buttons.

Well I guess I did change the subject from the OP since it was about question of love it or hate it, and my point was more into the knob doesn't need to exist anymore in these EVs

 

In order for a computer to control the system they have to be electronic controls like buttons. The car wouldn't physically be able to shift without a lot of complication. The system has some safeguards like automatically shifting to P if the door is open (without seatbelt), which isn't practical in a mechanical system


The design uses different physical elements to make them touch intuitive. The Fiat 500 uses the same shape buttons for all modes, that is bad .

 

A gasmobile's automatic transmission is already "a lot of complication", and controlling that electronically with a knob probably isn't any harder to design and build than using a lever. The electronic shift knob in the Chrysler 200, pictured in my post above, is perfectly fine as a user interface. Certainly much better than a bunch of buttons, and arguably more convenient and compact than a shift lever.

As I said, I think that's going to become the standard, if it's not already.

​

 

I don't mind it at all, don't even look at it anymore, just reach and press. Honda set it up nicely so that eventually muscle memory takes over.

 

I remember when I was little and my father was driving his first automatic.
He was slowing down for a red light and intended to push in the clutch and down-shift to second (three on the tree style).
He pushed the wide brake pedal to the floor, shifted to Park, and took 10 years off my Mom's life.
Oops.
Us kids thought it was wild, Mom had a glass of wine when we got home.

 

It takes some getting used to but I absolutely love how quickly it switches from reverse to drive . Instant and no lag. Will memorize like a keyboard and it will be much quicker eventually

 

This is why my favorite button is the Brake Hold. The thing is when not in Break Hold mode I wish the car would creep. Sometimes I have to quickly tap the accelerator to get the car to release and begin creeping.

 

You actually like creep mode? Well, to each his own. I hate having to keep the brake pedal depressed to prevent the car from creeping forward when sitting at a stop light.

​

 

I really like Break Hold mode and usually have it turned on all of the time so I agree with you. But when pulling into the garage if I stop just a bit short and let up on the brake pedal it is in break hold mode so the car won't move forward. I have to tap the accelerator and I feel it isn't safe as I could cause the car to lurch forward if I'm not careful.

 

Hate the buttons but it's a minor thing to me. I doubt I will ever try not to look at the buttons and still feel safe to shift.

It's not playing video games, the shifter is the last thing we need to replace with buttons.
And I don't play racing video games with gamepad, I have been using force feedback wheel with 6-gear shifter and 3 pedals for playing GT3 and up.

My daily drive is stick shift and the other is an auto, I don't see anything wrong of using a shifter, they're intuitive and I don't need to look at it. Buttons do not provide the same kind of feel.
​