Why Are Column Shifters Not More Common?
1 Answers
With the widespread adoption of automobiles, the space-saving advantage of column shifters in the front row has become insignificant. Coupled with cost considerations, vehicles equipped with manual column shifters have become quite niche. The so-called column shifter refers to the gear lever located behind the steering wheel on the steering column. Niche Market: Column shifters haven't disappeared. They are still available on some manual transmission vehicles in Europe and America. Moreover, the convenience of column shifters lives on in other gear-shifting methods like electronic column shifters and paddle shifters. Manual column shifters are too niche in the domestic market and haven't been introduced. Higher Costs: In the past, manual column shifters were more common in European and American countries. The purpose of using column shifters was to save space in the front row (allowing one additional passenger). This layout made sense for the larger vehicle models in Europe and America. Later, Japanese cars dominated the European and American markets. Since Japanese models are generally smaller, column shifters offered little advantage. Additionally, integrating the shifter with the steering column involves more complex mechanical structures and higher costs, whereas floor-mounted shifters are simpler and cheaper, aligning with the affordable style of Japanese cars. As a result, Japanese cars rarely adopted column shifters.
