What are Paddle Shifters: Design Peculiarities and Principle of Operation
While cars equipped with manual transmissions
gradually become outdated, many car manufacturer still integrate the feature
allowing drivers to shift their own gears. How it can be implemented in
automatic cars? The answer is simple – easy-to-use and efficient paddle
shifters.
It is not just some sophisticated technology
that looks awesome in sports cars, as today it is more and more frequently used
as the method of controlling the engine power in a car. The paddle shift system
is the main element in a semi-automatic vehicle control system. This mechanism
can be one of the most enjoyable ways to drive a car. In this article, we will
take a closer look at this remarkable technology, its design peculiarities,
principle of operation, and benefits that allowed this remarkable system to
gain popularity among auto enthusiasts.
Origins
The idea of using this handy gear shifting
mechanism was firstly implemented in motorsports, namely in F-1. In the late
1980s, Ferrari became the 1st team to enjoy benefits of this technology in
practice. After proving its efficiency and ease-of-use, this technology was
adopted by other F-1 teams, and after a while paddle shifters appeared in
conventional road cars.
1989 Ferrari 640 steering wheel with paddles behind the wheel
The use of paddle shifting mechanism became
more popular on road cars with the advent of the Tiptronic system. This
auxiliary feature was implemented in automatic units, and it helps to simulate
the sequential manual control in automatic cars. This feature is used to
control the dynamics of the car in various situations: when braking or
accelerating, when cornering and engaging a low gear. Such systems were first
introduced in the early nineties on some Porsche models.
This technology found application in
performance-oriented cars in the late 1990s. Nowadays, this mechanism is widely
used in common road cars.
Design and principle of operation
In fact, the paddle shifting system comprises of
two plastic levers, by clicking on which drivers can change gears. Paddle
shifters are intended for convenient and gradual upshifting or downshifting,
and they are frequently labelled with a + and - sign. It can be said that
paddle shifters emulate a clutchless manual gearbox.
The benefits of this technology manifest
themselves during dynamic driving, for instance, when it is necessary to
accelerate while overtaking other cars. Commonly, automatic transmissions shift
gears in normal mode, while the use of shifters allows increasing the RPM rate,
shifting gears at the peak power and consequently boosting the acceleration
intensity. Considering that a lot of road accidents occur during overtaking
maneuvers, paddle shifters really seem like an extremely helpful solution for
auto enthusiasts.
Pressing on paddle shifters initiates transmission of a signal to the TCU unit, which actuates the solenoids of the automatic transmission, leading to changes in gear ratios. Drivers select only the moment of shifting, and the actual process of shifting gears is performed by electric drives controlled by the TCU unit. It should be noted that paddle shifters can be placed anywhere inside the cabin, but the most convenient installation place is the steering column.
The paddle shifting system in automatic transmissions can be activated in different ways. In some cars, you can start using paddle shifters instantly, in others you must firstly select the manual gear shifting mode and then use shifters. If the paddle shifting system is not used for a long time, then special systems will switch the transmission into normal operation mode.
Most commonly, the paddle shifting mechanism
can be found in dual-clutch transmissions, as in standard automatics this
system can be found less frequently.
Paddle shifters for manual transmissions
As we have mentioned above, paddle shifters are
mainly used in different types of automatic cars, but engineers of the American
company Master Shift came up with a promising paddle shifting concept for manual
cars. This invention allows replacing a standard manual gearbox to a gear
shifting system with paddle shifters. At the same time, a car with this system preserves
3 pedals, but a traditional stick shifter disappears.
Learn more about this remarkable technology
Special adapters connect the transmission to the
drive unit, and the decoupling moment is detected by the sensor under the clutch
pedal. Engineers from Master Shift installed special systems, locking the
e-drive while engaging the R gear, when the car moves forward.
Advantages and disadvantages of paddle shifters
Paddle shifting systems integrated in automatic
cars ensure the following advantages:
- The main advantage of the paddle shifting system is ease of use and faster shifting time.
- Paddle shifters are extremely helpful when it is necessary to downshift for performing the overtaking maneuver;
- As paddle shifters ensure smooth acceleration, they also help to avoid unnecessary strain on the engine during acceleration, thereby prolonging the vehicle service life;
- This system also ensures better safety in different weather conditions (rain, snow).
When it comes to disadvantages of this system, they
are non-critical, but there are still a couple of them. First of all, the
paddle shifting system is quite expensive. Another drawback is that with this
system it is quite complex to reduce the speed smoothly when compared to manual
cars. Drivers, who previously had only a manual car, frequently cannot get used
to paddle shifters and stay displeased with this technology.
Paddle shifters turn automatic transmission cars into semi-automatics. Originally only available in sporty vehicles, paddle shifters are becoming a common sight in automatic cars. As major automakers gradually give up on manual transmissions, paddle shifters can become a real solution for drivers who prefer to be in charge of the gear shifting process.
