Transmission

[booboo]

I am 55 and drive A.T.'s like a M.T. Old habits are hard to break. After driving a 13 speed with a clutch that was like leg pressing 50lbs to engage, the Elio 5 speed and 5lb clutch press will be like heaven to me.

 

[skychief]

I must be dense. But im still not clear about the AMT. Do you just put in "D" and drive, like conventional ATs, or do you need to shift through the gears?

I get it that theres no torque-converter in the AMT. The clutch is automatic with the AMT.

 

[skygazer6033]

Skychief --- the single clutch AMT as used in the Elio can be shifted manually or fully automatic. The up side is in full auto mode the AMT should get better gas mileage than the manual, the down side is smoothness. Single clutch transmissions are notorious for being clunky when they shift. By learning to let up on the gas just as it shifts you can improve the smoothness greatly. Not really bad just a little different than a usual hydromechanical automatic transmission.

 

[Sethodine]

I must be dense. But im still not clear about the AMT. Do you just put in "D" and drive, like conventional ATs, or do you need to shift through the gears?

I get it that theres no torque-converter in the AMT. The clutch is automatic with the AMT.

You can do both! If you put it into "A", the computer will Automatically shift through the gears for you. If you put it into "M", then you can manually control the shifting by moving the stick between "+" and "-". Furthermore, if you are in Manual mode and come to a stop, the computer will automatically downshift for you, and it has a partial-cluch engage for 1st gear that causes the car to "creep" like traditional automatics do.

 

[wizard of ahs]

Skychief....the short answer is YES !
My guess it will be the familiar PRND for the auto
Of course, I'll be using the paddle shifters

 

[Marshall]

I'm going to have to learn to drive all over again. It should be fun.

 

[Ty]

The Aisin Manual transmission will have a clutch pedal and shift just like any other "stick shift" transmission in that you'll have to press the clutch pedal to change gears. The "Automatic" by Aisin is a little different than old school automatic transmissions. There will be Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive just like most automatics. What sets it apart is that internally, the transmission is pretty much the same as the manual version. There will be computer controlled actuators and such that will change gears for you though. This makes the transmission actually an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) and is more efficient than old school automatics. Why? Old school automatic transmissions connect to the engine via a torque converter which is like a big donut filled with transmission fluid. It allows for slippage to enable smooth shifts. The downside is... it allows slippage. That slippage robs power and efficiency. People put up with that because A) It makes smooth shifts and B) with computer controls, the car can be about as efficient as a manual transmission (which use a clutch ... basically, the engine and transmission get a hard connection and don't slip). The AMT, on the other hand, connects like a manual but has the efficiency of computer controlled shifts. The downside is that those shifts can be abrupt and takes some getting used to. There are more advanced versions that smooth out shifting via multiple clutches but the Elio will not be getting those much more expensive transmissions. Luckily, you COULD go drive a car with the very same transmission that Elio is using to kind of get a feel for how it'll shift.

 

[skygazer6033]

Good post Ty, however there is one small thing I would like to point out. The AMT will not have a "park" position. It will be necessary to leave the transmission in low or reverse and set the hand brake to secure the vehicle. This has been a concern of mine since the hand brake on disk brake cars just barely holds a car in place on even a slight grade with brakes on 2 rear wheels let alone the Elios single rear wheel. Don't know how they're going to address this issue for the folks who want remote starting.

 

[outsydthebox]

Good post Ty, however there is one small thing I would like to point out. The AMT will not have a "park" position. It will be necessary to leave the transmission in low or reverse and set the hand brake to secure the vehicle. This has been a concern of mine since the hand brake on disk brake cars just barely holds a car in place on even a slight grade with brakes on 2 rear wheels let alone the Elios single rear wheel. Don't know how they're going to address this issue for the folks who want remote starting.

I understand your concern, but this is how current manual trans cars are supposed to be "parked." So, because the vehicle is left "in gear" (low or reverse) the engine adds mechanical resistance to the (traditionally weak) rear drum brakes. The Elio has a few advantages that (I think) will make it safer. First, Elio will have disc brakes front and rear...like many new cars...BUT less vehicle weight. Second, Paul is a pretty sharp engineer. And "because" many new small cars currently have 4-wheel disc brakes, we know that "cable" e-brakes are integrated with hydraulic calipers, and "could be" used on the front wheels instead of the (single) rear.
OR, here is another option...

 

[Frim]

The Aisin Manual transmission will have a clutch pedal and shift just like any other "stick shift" transmission in that you'll have to press the clutch pedal to change gears. The "Automatic" by Aisin is a little different than old school automatic transmissions. There will be Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive just like most automatics. What sets it apart is that internally, the transmission is pretty much the same as the manual version. There will be computer controlled actuators and such that will change gears for you though. This makes the transmission actually an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) and is more efficient than old school automatics. Why? Old school automatic transmissions connect to the engine via a torque converter which is like a big donut filled with transmission fluid. It allows for slippage to enable smooth shifts. The downside is... it allows slippage. That slippage robs power and efficiency. People put up with that because A) It makes smooth shifts and B) with computer controls, the car can be about as efficient as a manual transmission (which use a clutch ... basically, the engine and transmission get a hard connection and don't slip). The AMT, on the other hand, connects like a manual but has the efficiency of computer controlled shifts. The downside is that those shifts can be abrupt and takes some getting used to. There are more advanced versions that smooth out shifting via multiple clutches but the Elio will not be getting those much more expensive transmissions. Luckily, you COULD go drive a car with the very same transmission that Elio is using to kind of get a feel for how it'll shift.

What kind of car would that be?