Euro 7 signaled the end for small, cheap cars…and manual gearboxes

The end of 100% combustion cars is on the table in Europe, with the aim of a more sustainable future and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. But the auto industry and consumers may struggle. Cars will become more expensive and the affordable solutions we know today can simply disappear. Also, it could be the end of manual gearboxes.

Goodbye to cheap cars
Europe's major car companies are constantly warning about the problems that the rules Euro 7 writes may bring to the industry and the consumer.  Currently, there is already a group of countries officially united against the Euro 7 standard, which provides for new emissions limits for 2035.
According to ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, only 10% of the total vehicle fleet on European roads will comply with Euro 7. It also ensures that development efforts are not worth it because the impact on air quality will be marginal.  .
Moreover, he is alerted to the fact that the general panorama of the brand's fleet will change completely.  Small vehicles, for example, are at risk of disappearing.  The "classic" Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo may have an end in sight.
These cars already have the lowest profit margin.  Its potential audience demands lower prices and electrification means a sharp increase in costs, a reduction in economic revenues, and in the end, it is a strategy directly opposite to that of many European manufacturers: selling less, but more expensive.  Here, China may have a say in terms of supply.

Regarding the manual shift, a few days ago we announced Toyota's plans to put a dummy transmission in its electric cars, to attract consumers who are enthusiastic about this element of cars.  And who knows if this will not be the only way in the future to get a gearshift in cars.
See also  An acoustic heat pump uses sound energy to heat and cool homes
Euro 7 will spell the end for cars with manual gearboxes
It may even require a required transition The end of manual gearboxes.  Volkswagen has already stated that the Volkswagen Golf model, under Euro 7 rules, will lose this element, and there are plans for the entire fleet of cars to do without manual changes.  This is for sports cars The most common can be quite problematic, given consumer expectations. 
In the case of the current Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Germans save 2g CO2/km for every car sold with an automatic gearbox, rather than a manual gearbox.  With such challenging targets, Germain could make a difference in getting hefty fines.
But, in addition, it must be borne in mind that hybrids will be a trend with Euro 7 homologation. For example, we already know that it is the last model to have pure combustion versions and it should not be the only one to follow this path. 
With the electric car, the automatic gearbox will continue to advance.  It is more efficient, less polluting and requires less technical effort from manufacturers when electric motors and combustion engines have to work together.  By now, manual shifts are beginning to be seen as something exclusive that you pay (and a lot) for among the most respected sports cars.