I am having trouble parsing this question. Did I miss a joke or sarcasm?

This is like asking "what about people who prefer to crank the propeller" while staring at a jet. It does not apply.

EVs don't usually have to shift gears, not because they have automatic transmissions, but because their engines can achieve high RPM and torque is similar across the usable RPM range. The Nissan Leaf, for instance, has a single gear, then only thing you can do is engage or disengage it. Reverse is handled by rotating the engine backwards, so you do need a control for the driver, but there's no corresponding gear – the easiest way to see that in action is reversing the direction while the car is moving, like you do in an electric bumper cart. With most car transmissions, you would need to stop first, then reverse, you could even cause damage if you do it while the car is moving.

I guess if you really wanted to, you could fake gears on software. And fake some engine noise while you are at it...

While I believe the comment was a joke it is also a reference to people who make emotional decisions over objective ones. I also think that many people don't realize just how many humans prefer to make important decisions emotionally. It's not something you generally learn sitting at a desk.

Every single human in the planet makes decisions emotionally - the hacker news crowd is not excluded from this in the slightest. I would also gamble that the vast majority of our day-to-day decisions are emotional, unless you live a purely utilitarian life. And that would suck.

It's solvable though. The GTI version of the Ford eThing could come with flappy paddles, a manual 6 speed lever, and Porsche approved engine and gearchange noises. None of which do anything but effect.

Microtransactions for flat crank v8s, and v12s perhaps?

It comes down to why you like manuals. If it's for the pleasure of working through the gears, then you're out of luck. If it's for the instant throttle response, no slushyness from the torque converter, or being able to chose the gear based on what your going to do in a second, then electric cars are significantly better.

I'm one of those people, I love manual transmissions and would never buy a car with an automatic. But, an electric drive is even better, more direct, more immediate. And one pedal driving is awesome.

Given the health crisis in cities like London, I think people prefering manual transmission is not a relevant point.

I think it’s clear from the market that manual transmission lovers are basically fringe group, at least in the US. Even many of the brands that used to cater to them, like BMW, have given up due to low sales.

It seems clear that they’ll be relegated to restorations and kit cars and such.

Same thing that happened to British handgun owners, presumably, or people who really enjoy dynamite fishing.

Or people who really just prefer horses as a means of transportation. They can have their shows and their rallies, and the rest of us can get to work on the means of transportation that makes sense.

Someone will make fake "gears" for you to play with, like those modern CVTs

Electric cars give the same control that a manual transmission does.