Share of manual and automatic transmission mini passenger cars in Japan FY 2013-2023

According to a survey conducted in 2023 about the usage of light motor vehicles among private households and businesses in Japan, most mini passenger cars owned were cars with automatic transmissions (AT), while five percent were manual transmission (MT) vehicles.

Why many drivers say sayonara to stick shifts

With compact dimensions (max LWH: 3.4m, 1.48m, 2m) and an engine capacity of up to 0.66 liters, the Japanese mini car or kei car was built for the highest convenience at the lowest price. It is small, light, and easy to drive. Hence, it is not surprising that those cars usually feature an AT, saving the trouble of fiddling with the gear shifter. Besides, it makes sense vehicles in Japan are automatic since most newly issued car driver licenses have an AT restriction today. And the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs) – mostly running with a single gear – begs the question: if EVs become the common type of next-generation vehicle, will car transmissions become obsolete as well?

Automatic transmission: A lever for EV performance

Naturally, electric motors have a comparably linear torque-speed relation, generally resulting in performances superior to internal combustion engines. However, depending on the vehicle's application (heavy loads, upward slopes, constant maximum speeds, etc.), speed and torque may be over- or underdelivering. The result is a quickly emptying battery charge. A possible solution might be a continuously variable transmission (CVT), adapting the torque-speed ratio to optimize power efficiency. Automotive parts supplier Bosch boosted the performance of a Volkswagen EV by four percent with its CVT. These percentages give manufacturers leverage for creating different vehicle and driving styles with the same powertrain, effectively cutting costs. Gear shifters may come to a halt, but transmissions are likely to progress in the automotive industry.