one-pedal responsive operation is a win in the same way multi-touch is a win. It doesn't sound like a big deal,but once you get used to it, everything else seems dated.

Operating multiple pedals to operate a vehicle is a leftover from crude technology. Sure, some people like it that way (a set that includes me). But for most people, once they get used to push pedal a bit to go slow, a lot to go fast, let go to stop - they will love it because it makes more sense.

To operate a internal combustion/geared car, you have to modulate the pedal to match the acceleration rate and gears. Max pedal pressure to start, lightening off, re-pressing when gears go up etc. It's normal because it's what we're used to.

Single gear, peak torque engines are much more intuitive to drive. That's why toddler can handle electric toy cars so easily.

You must be joking mate. All movies since 90s tell me that most Americans can't even drive manual transmission. Modern automatic transmission is totally invisible. Some cars even have variator transmission.

I get it, the car is more dynamic. So what? It's an incremental change.

By the way, if you do not like pedals, there is even better technology, called cruise control.

Not joking at all.

By multiple pedal I'm talking about accelerator and brake, not accelerator brake and clutch.

The i3 has single pedal operation in city mode. This means it uses regen braking to intelligently slow the car down if you lift your foot off. Brake pedal is for emergency or highway stops only.

It's one of those things that, once you get used to, feel a lot more natural.

Most electric cars have regenerative breaking. So just lifting off the power pedal will decelerate it (regaining energy for the battery). This means, in most situations you don't even have to switch over to the break pedal, which is quite convenient. For this reason I miss my old stick-shifted car which had a short gear reduction ratio. I could drive it in the city without breaking except for reaching a stop.

That is actually clever. Did not know that. Indeed that somewhat change the driving behaviour.

Does it add more value than the cost premium of the electric car? Doubt it.

We are currently looking at the first generation of mass-made electrical cars. With the second generation in about 2 years from now, we can expect significant cost reductions making most discussions about a "cost premium" moot - the advantages of the concept of the electrical cars are going to stay though.

Modern manual cars behave that way because that's they way they're programmed. If manufactures wanted to, they can make the car behave in any way they want because they're drive-by-wire and the throttle is just an input to the computer. Afaik the break and clutch are still mechanical though.

That said, unless we see a significant leap in battery tech, I think we're stuck with ICE cars for the foreseeable future. But we might see hybrid systems from racing more, that enables the car to become far more efficient in the city.