The auto industry has always been an industry that has been
looked upon as one that produces cutting edge technologies and techniques for
bettering the driving experience as well as the impact on the environment in
recent years. These technologies include the modification of engines and
components to increase fuel economy, the incorporation of technology (such as
hands free calling, satellite radio and other luxury items) and also the
introduction of comfort technology such as the air ride suspension system used
by General Motors in their luxury SUVs. It is easy to see that the auto
industry has made great advances towards efficiency and comfort, however, are
they finally running out of ideas? Recent years have shown that auto makers are
beginning to recycle old ideas from the past (that never quite caught on) in
hopes of them possibly becoming popular the second time around. Popular
mechanics highlighted this phenomena with “5 New Car Features That Aren’tReally New”, as well as many other automotive periodicals. However, the most
absurd reintroduction in my opinion is the electronic shifter.
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| Chrysler Torqueflite control pad |
The concept used back in the fifties was
very similar to the one that auto makers are trying to repackage today. Instead
of the traditional lever to select the gear setting of the automobile, a pad
was put on the dashboard of the car with
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| Ford’s “Telescopic” gear pad |
buttons to select the usual drive,
reverse, low, or neutral gears that were available. The mechanism worked
through a series of electric motors which would pull on the cables for the
selection of gears at the push of the corresponding button. There was also the
incorporation of a vacuum activated system in which each button activated a
pump within the transmission that would select the corresponding gear. The
concept of the push button shifter spread to other automakers such as Ford’s
“telescopic” gear selector on the steering wheel of their Edsel series.
However, despite rigorous marketing
attempts by all of the auto makers alike, the phenomena of
the push button system never caught on. This was due mainly to a laundry list
of issues surrounding this technology such as
- Problems with electrical shorts and poor maintainability
- Over-complicated systems that made diagnostics a nightmare
- Transmission damage from customers pressing the wrong button
- Poor response in cold environments
These issues ultimately lead to the
elimination of the push button gear selector as an option on automobiles in the
early sixties. Manufacturers instead reverted back to the traditional cable
driven system with the use of a lever. However, auto makers recently have
decided to try and bring the push button system back into production.
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| Lincoln MKZ gear selection pad |
The
reintroduction of the push button gear selector began with the 2014 Lincoln MKZ
sedan produced by Ford. This sedan boasted Ford’s new ecosport engine line with
boosted fuel economy, a single pane glass roof that slid back to make the vehicle
nearly a convertible and of course a push pad gear selecting system running
parallel to the vehicle’s infotainment system. The trend for the push button
selector has continued to be featured on the MKZ sedan to this year’s model
release, as well as being featured on all other Lincoln vehicles.
The relative
success of the Lincoln re-introduction of the leverless shifter prompted other auto makers to follow suit. Not
soon after Lincoln, Chrysler began to offer a variation of the push-button
transmission in their Chrysler and Dodge product lines. The Chrysler variation
of system is a knob which rests on the console where the gear shift was
traditionally placed, or on the dashboard of the Ram pickup trucks (ironically
right beside the radio volume knob). This technology utilizes the power of the
onboard computers that are now standard in today’s vehicles. Instead of the old
motor and cable setup, these systems utilize the “fly by wire” technique commonly
used today for power windows or even transmission shift points and engine
timing. In theory, the application of this technology with the aid of computers
shouldn’t raise a red flag. However, common problems with electronics and
wiring in cars in the recent years from large manufacturers has left consumers
skeptical. Especially since the crowd that these cars are being marketed
towards were most likely around for the first few iterations of the push button
transmission. These two applications of this “futuristic” design aspect are
eerily similar to the selector pads of the fifties and sixties. This begs the
question, will these systems encounter the same problems that their ancestors
did nearly sixty years ago?
As someone who is going into the aircraft industry this is an interesting piece to read. Many aircraft now use fly-by-wire systems instead of mechanical systems to operate. Essentially the computer takes inputs from the pilot, interprets them, and then proceeds to maneuver the correct flight controls to move the plane the way the pilot wants. I think that for aircraft this can be beneficial because limitations can be placed on how the aircraft is being maneuvered in the air keeping the aircraft and everyone on board safe. The military was the primary driver for this due to the development of super-maneuverable fighter aircraft. To make the aircraft super-maneuverable the aircraft has to be unstable, this means that a pilot on their own without the aid of computers would not be able control the aircraft. When it comes to cars, I don't think that it is necessary to use fly-by-wire computer systems to aid in the control of the vehicle. Whenever you introduce a computer into the equation you are asking for bugs, and the systems that you describe here have a lot of room for user input error. I personally think that mechanical systems are still the way to work with cars currently because they will be more reliable. They are only subject to wear and tear, and sometimes it isn't necessary to fix something that isn't broke.
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