What does the N in an automatic transmission mean?

[MaciLee]

In an automatic transmission, N stands for Neutral, which can be used when starting the car, parking without leaving the vehicle, or during towing. When the gear lever is in this position, the transmission idles, and the engine's power cannot be transmitted to the drive wheels, providing no driving or restraining effect on the wheels. Neutral generally refers to the state where the vehicle's gearshift lever is not engaged in any forward or reverse gear, completely separating the transmission from the drive wheels. An automatic transmission typically refers to a car's automatic gear-shifting mechanism, where the control system of the automatic transmission automatically selects the appropriate gear based on the engine's speed and load during driving, replacing the driver's subjective judgment and gear-shifting operations. A typical automatic transmission car has six gear positions, from top to bottom: P, R, N, D, S, L. The commonly used automatic gear positions are Park (P), Reverse (R), Neutral (N), and Drive (D).