Mercedes kills manual transmission on cars

While a beloved feature of the past, the manual transmission is on the brink of extinction. In recent times, many automakers have made efforts to bring it back. Toyota recently announced that the Supra will be offered with a manual transmission, and Nissan is offering the same feature to buyers of the Nissan Z.

However, in general, the manual transmission is not going to be around for long in the automotive world. The era of electrification is fast approaching, and with the growing demand for vehicles that shift automatically, more and more manufacturers are opting to do away with manual shifting altogether.

The latest big name to join the trend is Mercedes-Benz, reports Automobilwoche. The German automaker told the publication that there is no room for manual transmissions in the brand's future.

This is expected to happen in 2023, a company spokesperson said, noting that the move to fully automatic transmissions is due to strong demand for electrified products. “With the increase in vehicle electrification, we are seeing customer demand shifting to batteries and electric powertrains.”

Mercedes in the US actually ditched manual transmissions back in 2015. However, in Germany, the entry-level CLA-Class still comes with a manual. In 2020, the luxury automaker also said it would "eliminate manual transmissions altogether."

Mercedes-Benz has never really mastered the manual transmission. It’s certainly not the worst feature on its cars, but stretching back to the W123 and W124, owners have often described the transmission as difficult to use and operate. Plus, the German automaker is all about luxury and convenience for passengers, so having to manually adjust gears doesn’t seem to fit the bill.

What the death of the manual transmission signals is that the auto industry is changing rapidly. However, there is hope for enthusiasts of this feature in the future, as patents show that Toyota is researching manual transmissions for electric cars.