army1987 comments on Notes on Autonomous Cars - Less Wrong

21 Post author: gwern 24 January 2013 03:09AM

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Comment author: [deleted] 26 January 2013 04:40:39PM *  0 points [-]

automatic transmissions

I'm reminded of an Irish guy who once said that using manual transmission is one of the three things all men should be able to do (the other two being using maps rather than asking for directions, and opening jars). (Not sure how serious he was.)

(Anyway, it's cultural. In Italy, pretty much everybody uses manual transmission, regardless of their gender.)

Comment author: knb 26 January 2013 09:28:39PM 1 point [-]

I assume Europeans use manual because the automatics decrease fuel efficiency and fuel is usually twice as expensive in Europe.

Comment author: [deleted] 26 January 2013 10:05:55PM *  0 points [-]

automatics decrease fuel efficiency

Wow. I didn't know that. (I would have assumed that deciding which gear is most efficient at a given speed was something machines would be better at than humans.) What's it good for, then?

Comment author: knb 26 January 2013 10:50:50PM *  3 points [-]

Automatics are easier to use and probably safer, since both hands can be kept on the wheel. The fuel efficiency reduction is (I think) mainly because of the energy used in the pumping of hydraulic fluid, not switching gears poorly.