[RahulNagaraj]

According to media reports, column shifters which at one point were almost an industry standard on large luxo barges, could be making a comeback via an unexpected passenger car segment - electric cars.

Column shifters were extremely popular back in the 1990s, mostly on luxury passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and station wagons. The shifters lasted well into the 2000s, before being discontinued around the same time as the rise of SUVs. Reports state their fall was mainly due to consumer preferences, while some were clunky to use and would even block certain other controls. The fall of column shifters gave rise to gear levers on the centre console.



However, column shifters are said to be making a comeback in the latest generation of electric cars. Brands and EVs like Hyundai's Ioniq models, most Teslas, all EQ products from Mercedes Benz, the Kia EV9 and the Chevy Blazer EV now come with column shifters. These new-age shifters though don't look anywhere as large as they used to, with most of them appearing to be similar to a steering wheel stalk.

Having said that, the addition of column shifters on EVs, allows them to move a function away from the centre console realising more storage space, especially with the absence of the transmission tunnels.

Column shifters though are still offered on a few modern cars, including select Mercedes-Benz sedans & crossovers and even the latest Porsche Cayenne.

Source: Jalopnik

Link to Team-BHP news

[DicKy]

Big welcome!!!!

Unless it is a sporty car, there is no reason why the gear selector should be in the centre console. Even if manual transmission, if it is non sporty model put the gear lever on the dashboard or column.

And in this age of gear selectors, with buttons and knobs and balls and crystals and joy sticks, it is anyday easier to simply make it a column mounted shifter. Freeing up loads of space on the centre console.

That said, most of the latest cars with column shifters, especially more mainstream BEVs have started to go for the twist stalks instead of up and down lever. Guess it is to minimize chance of people inadvertently moving the column shifter mistaking for turn signals/wipers.

[L8ButV8]

I might be old school, but I prefer a center console gearbox. I find it much easier to operate via muscle memory, and without double/triple checking that I've got the right gear selected.

All auto companies seem to be copying Tesla here. Tesla has gone too far at saving costs, by eliminating a range of buttons/controls across the car. In the new Model 3, they have even done away with the steering wheel stalk that selects gears. All controls have been consolidated within the steering wheel or the touchscreen interface. While this benefits the Tesla-- and other companies might follow them, by deleting column shifters-- this trend makes the cars less intuitive to use IMO.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by L8ButV8

I might be old school, but I prefer a center console gearbox.....All auto companies seem to be copying Tesla here. this trend makes the cars less intuitive to use IMO.

Column shifters are more old school than floor shifts. And trust me, a good column shifter is more intuitive and ergonomic than a floor shifter, except for sporty driving. And forget about the Ambassador and Padmini column shifters, they really brought a bad name with their poorly designed/maintained ones.

Nope. Column shifters were still kicking till the late 90s. And Merc had already started the electronic column shifters in the mid 2000s itself with the W221 and kept to it till date. Tesla actually used Merc parts during their early days and the column shifter was one such part.

Though have to say that manufacturers should end up in a standardised form like PRND instead of the current free for all format.

[Sandegov]

I thought Tesla wanted to completely do away with any kind of drive selector

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/29/2...ing-prnd-gears

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Though have to say that manufacturers should end up in a standardised form like PRND instead of the current free for all format.

1000%. Especially with so many new drivers who haven’t had the benefit of motoring history and practice. The PRND format makes everything very much simpler.
Personally I ve always loved Floor shift gears. They have always been nicer. in the old column shift Fiats and Ambassadors, many users used to move over to floor shift gear boxes. I know that the Ambassador (mostly the diesel ones) used to go with the Hindustan Trekker gearbox or Matador or similar unless of course they had switched to the Nissan engines as some did. But I cant remember in the case of the Fiat, whicb gearbox they used when the enthusiastic users shifted from the column shift to Floor shift.
The Maruti when it came, was like butter and clouds compared to the Ambassador and Fiat. My Lord what a sudden stone age to space age seismic shift it was for us !

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

But I cant remember in the case of the Fiat, whicb gearbox they used when the enthusiastic users shifted from the column shift to Floor shift.

It was the same gearbox, just had shorter linkages to come out through the floor. My cousin had an OE delux version with a slightly higher compression engine, floor shifter with bucket seats.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

It was the same gearbox, just had shorter linkages to come out through the floor. My cousin had an OE delux version with a slightly higher compression engine, floor shifter with bucket seats.

Oh lovely. Those old Fiats used to sound so good when ‘cutting gears’ and then when they were moving off in first and shifting up to second, that engine sound coupled with transmission whine was inimitable. The Floor shift gears and bucket seats and fat Dunlop 2001 radial tyres used to look so good on those cars. I remember that Dr Saboo in Madras in the 1980’s - he used to be a big time rallyist and had so many Fiats in succession all prepped up and roaring about.

[GTO]

One of the best-packaged EVs I've seen. The marvellous Ioniq 5:


Column-mounted shifter:


And because of that, a sliding center console!

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by GTO

One of the best-packaged EVs I've seen. The marvellous Ioniq 5:
Attachment 2560397

Column-mounted shifter:
Attachment 2560398

And because of that, a sliding center console!
Attachment 2560399

I absolutely agree it is a gorgeous car. Lovely to drive too. The AWD version is supposedly terrific and the N Line looks too cool.
I first thought the column mounted control was a bit Mercedes-like except for the rotatory selection rather than the up-down one.
But while it looks like a spaceship and every part of it feels solid and beautifully engineered, I am feeling it is a bit wide and long for my personal requirement.
How nice it would be if they would give us a scaled down version - an Ioniq3 perhaps, which would be the perfect size!

[AKSarkar1]

It’s all a question of personal preference, I personally have never preferred column shifters even when they were a thing. I enjoy the dedicated space that the shifter gets on the centre console where it can’t be confused with anything else unlike in the case of the column shifter.

[Burgman_tales]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Though have to say that manufacturers should end up in a standardised form like PRND instead of the current free for all format.

I think I have seen PRND everywhere (except the S/L which is below D). Any Indian cars which have a different format?

[carthick1000]

Volvo's new generation of EVs too are going in this direction.

EX30


EX90


And Tesla's went one step further by removing column shifters completely in their new Model S, 3, X and Cybertruck.

[Voodooblaster]

Column shifters in EV can also be used liberate space to seat 3 in front in the entry level segment. (Maybe Mahindra will bring KUV100EV)

[thomahawk]

Originally Posted by Voodooblaster

Column shifters in EV can also be used liberate space to seat 3 in front

Exactly what came to my mind as well. I thought safety might be an issue - but it seems there were cars out there (Fiat Multipla for example) with flexible seating to seat up to 3 passengers at the front. Airbag and seat belts were provided for the middle passenger in the front as well.