shifter, could have been, should have been.

Ford Edsel had buttons in the center of the steering . Only sold for a couple of years.
Considering the millions of Prius's sold guess this shift design is not a problem!

 

Looks like it’s a blue car thing.

 

uh-oh

 

I know and I want Blue Magnetism .

At least I’m not in FL.

 

Did they nix the reverse-beep on the c? I would think it's not needed, with a shifter like that. Or they kept it, just so Prius c owners wouldn't feel "excluded"?

 

No beep. I have to leave squeaky chew-toys behind the car.

 

Good game today BTW.

Plenty of drama before the Lady Bears pulled it out.

 

Both of those are better than having this truck destabilize a house last week:

Not shown is the wrong way DUI pickup that really caused this crash.

 

Human beings are creatures of habit. While some get set in their way and stop learning early in their lives, there are the few who continue to innovate and adopt new ideas.

The Prius Gen 2, 3, and four shifters remind me of the historical development of the attitude control Diskey (short for Display Key) fly by wire system in the Apollo Command Module. In the Module, the shift knob is around 20mm x 30mm long. Since it did not control a mechanical linkage and used similar sensors predating Hall Effect sensors (now built in to Prius shifters).

Unencumbered by the need for mechanical advantage needed to move mechanical links, the lever was only about 30mm long. Evidently, the shift gate was a double x with its arms spread 45 degree increments from the vertical.

Most manufacturers keep the long shift lever for familiarity.

 

The traditional shifter does several things:

1. Shifts
2. Gives you an easy visual reminder of what gear you're in.
3. It's "lnear", ie: you are shifting through a line of gears, to get from Park to Drive, you need to move down the line through Reverse and Neutral.

The Prius' return-to-centre shifter can go from centre to any gear (except Park), and then returns to the middle position, mute. Sure there's a display on the dash, but it's not the same.

 

The Gen 3 Stage 10 push button shifter would not likely have been approved for OEM use by regulatory authorities in any country on account that the user would have to look for the particular button to push for any particular supported function.

Acura and Honda's in line push button shifter makes it easy to particular distinguish one particular function from another. It would be highly unlikely that the Chrysler or Ford Edsel push button shifters would pass muster today.

A simple light and small joystick can readily send the needed signals to the ECU. However, this may be problematic for unintended selections.

The Prius Gen 2 and later shifters are designed to be larger than necessary noting that a certain amount of force against two springs with two definite movements in two different directions are necessary to shift into drive or reverse.

 

Ye of little faith. I'm happy to learn new ways and methods when they are objectively better than those they've replaced.
I have a habit of keeping my eyes on the road. I do not wish to break that habit while changing direction or gear.

I'm completely okay with a tiny little shifter. I have a subjective preference for the large floor-mounted ones previously used, but I could get over that. I just want the handle to stay where I last left it such that I can confirm my selection by touch alone.

Requiring the operator to go head-down in the cockpit to read an alpha display or track a tally light is a step backward.

 

To save weight and space in the passenger compartment, nearly all shifters will eventually get smaller and lighter. The Prius C still uses al large and heave shifter with a physical cable, although glass filled nylon 6-6 has replaced the steel structures of yesteryear.

The Prius Gen 2+ shifters still take a lot of room and weigh over one pound.

The current "fly by wire" system could be made smaller and lighter. Unfortunately, although the Gen 4 shifter introduced in the 2016 model integrated the hall effect sensors, it still is unnecessarily large and weighs close to two pounds.

 

Impressive!! We've had a ton of wrong way DUI fatalities on our freeways the past couple years. There was also a garbage truck that took out another house in our vicinity. I didn't mention it because I couldn't find the picture.

Back to the shifter, though, after driving 5-speed 4wd floor shifters, motorcycles, automatics, three-on-the-tree, and (briefly) a push button shift, I have to say that I like anything that you physically move. I prefer that it always be in the same place when I reach for it. The worst is the push button on the new Honda Oddity Odyssey. And look where they hid the "emergency" flasher button! At least they made reverse different, so you have to be deliberate about it, but having to look to find the right button to get going is a royal pain.

 

I conject that Toyota, when eventually freeing themselves of mechanical shift cables, will transition to a gated "fly by wire" shifter mounted high on the dash board to the left of the vehicle's touch screen display just above the right wiper/cruise control stalk.. The shifter can thus be made with just an inch or two of depth under the dash panel, without the need for the return to neutral springs of the current Gen 2+ Prius shifter. And, there would be no need for the current PARK button.

The transition would not be drastic, as it would be familiar to all current Toyota owners. It would keep the drivers sight on the road and free up nearly one entire cubic foot of space in the console area and nearly four pounds of weight.

 

younger game playing generations will have no issue with no shifters. us old fogies just need to clear the decks.
it won't be long...

 

Yeah, BUT that pattern sucks! It's what my stupid 914 (disaster!) Porsche had, with the addition of a 5th gear. This was TOTALLY useless in real life. Your explanation makes sense and is helpful, but the dummies who came up with this layout are impractical fools.
Try drag racing your buddy off the line with his 1600 Datsun roadster; his SMART/NORMAL shift pattern will let him beat you every time!
I still say more car "engineers", especially those who load us up with all those digital gimmicks, need more real world experience.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
AChoiredTaste.com

 

I suspect i should mention that Drive up and Reverse down would be legal if the shift lever was to the left of the steering wheel.

49 CFR § 571.102 - Standard No. 102; Transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect. | CFR | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

N has to be between R and D.
N to D must be clockwise.
P needs to be on the far side of R
There needs to be a position with more braking force than D

Then an incredible tangle about start stop.

Finally, you must have a display of what gear you are in unless it is a 3 speed manual.

 

Hey, how cool would that be: a 5-speed Manual Prius Prime Advanced, 2000 Lb, hatchback coupe!!
Yessiree Bobbo, sign my butt up now!! And gimme back my tach and all my gauges, get rid of all those dumb touch screens, and honestly, I never use power windows (especially in a coupe), nor power seats. Carbon fiber everywhere, noise cancelling system, solar panels (to run cooling system when you're parked), move main instruments to driver side; now you're talkin' Jack!! Oh yeah, get an Italian to design the body, will ya!!
MOST IMPORTANTLY, give me back my SPARE TIRE!!

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
AChoiredTaste.com

 

Sadly, we're just talking among ourselves.