Learning to drive can be a traumatic experience for any new driver particularly if one is faced with the challenge of mastering a manual transmission. Many learner drivers suffer from all the usual problems associated with anyone learning to drive a car from stalling to poor clutch control and often the next stage of getting used to double clutching and fast smooth gear changes. Thankfully, Easytronic’s semi-automatic transmission system helps to simplify any aspiring driver’s learning process with it’s no clutch pedal concept yet the driver is able to still enjoy the sensation of engaged gearing. Easytronic is a hybrid system, almost classless, capable of being one of the simplest forms of manual driving to the fluid drive of automatic. This system is great for learner drivers who are just starting out on their motoring journey. In this article we explain how Easytronic helps to make learning to drive easier.
What is Easytronic?
Easytronic is a system of semi-automatic transmission that retains the benefits of manual systems and adds the advantage of automatic systems: it operates a manual gearbox, but clutch operation is automatic, so there’s no need for a clutch pedal. The gears can be shifted manually, but the driver can also choose ‘automatic’ mode so that the car handles all the gear changes. For young drivers learning to use a clutch, Easytronic offers the best of both worlds.
How Easytronic Simplifies Learning to Drive
No-clutch pedal: One of the biggest challenges in learning to drive a manual car is getting used to the clutch. It typically takes new drivers quite some time to get a feel for the relationship between clutch and accelerator, leading to a lot of stalling during initial training. With Easytronic, the clutch is automated so new drivers only need to focus on the shifting as the gearbox automatically takes care of the clutch. This allows them to learn how to control gears without the stress and frustration of also having to learn to drive without stalling.
Smooth Gear Shifts: Easytronic shifts gears more smoothly than a conventional manual transmission. The driver can concentrate on the timing of the gear changes rather than focusing on the operation of the clutch, making it easier for trainees to learn good gear-change habits for the future, and creating confidence behind the wheel.
Automatic Mode As a handy feature for learners not yet ready to venture out and navigate the manual drive, Easytronic also offers an automatic mode. Switch to this mode and the system will look after the shifting all by itself; new drivers can then get to work on steering, braking and other basic skills, while gradually moving the gearstick to test interruptive gearshifting. Once the fledgling driver feels ready, a simple flip brings the car into the next gear, ready for the next stop – but this time without the car lurching and rolling as the clutch bites.
Less Traffic Anxiety: Stop-and-go traffic with a manual transmission is a new driver’s worst nightmare – Easytronic’s automatic mode controls this gear shifting, taking away that anxiety in busy traffic, where there’s a manual shifting overload! New drivers can switch between automatic and manual with Easytronic – in busy areas, they can shift to automatic mode, and lower settings in quiet settings.
Benefits of Easytronic for New Drivers
Confidence Building: By reducing mental effort that goes into gearshifts and removing the fear of stalling, Easytronic allows new drivers to practise driving and fine-tune their knowledge of the rules of the road much more rapidly than is otherwise possible.
Gradual Learning Curve: When teaching others to drive manually, Easytronic gradually introduces the manual element so the driver can ease in rather than jumping from fully automatic one minute into hands-on gears the next.
Potential Drawbacks
Restricted Manual Experience: The Easytronic only helps familiarise you with the action of manually shifting gears – it won’t provide the full experience of a conventional manual transmission, which can also help develop the muscle memory needed to make quick and economical shifts. For this reason, new drivers who intend to eventually graduate on to a fully manual car would do well to practise with a clutch pedal in addition to the Easytronic.
Learning, But No More: Although Easytronic changes the nature of operating the clutch, people learning to drive will still have to learn exactly when and how to shift gears when in manual mode – the amount of time that it takes them to do so is impossible to know, but it does seem that this becomes, as they say, second nature.
Conclusion
Easytronic for new drivers can be a less stressful and anxiety-provoking way for new drivers to learn. It removes the opportunity for a great abundance of justifiable (or supposedly justifiable) swearing due to KLUDGE errorsRather than using a clutch pedal, it negates the need for a clutch and thereby allows a smoother learning experience so as to build confidence on the roads up front. Easytronic vehicles come with a manual mode, so learners can then switch to what they consider a more satisfying driving style as they progress, and even maintain this as a fall-back if they are confident and skilled manual drivers. No one is going to be able to pass their driver’s test in an Easytronic, except maybe Richard Hammond Appreciating its merits, Easytronic vehicles can be a less stressful and anxiety-provoking way for new drivers to learn. They can drive on wide, open rural roads initially, perhaps in nearby towns where they feel less conspicuous. They can then proceed to more congested areas and when they are ready of course. Easytronic helps novices in the learning process from the outset; it allows them to build their skills, gain confidence on the road and then adjust to natural manual driving, with a manual mode also available. In doing this, Easytronic does the same job as conventional manual driving, although it might not have the same distinct skill of fully natural manual driving.
