I've read a few times here on EM that the biggest efficiency hog in today's drivetrain is the transmission itself. My first question is if this is true or not. The second one is, if it is true, what can be done to make them more efficient. What in the system is not currently efficient that can be improved upon?
I understand manuals are generally more efficient than automatics, but I am not asking about that specifically, more of the mechanical inefficiencies. I'm thinking about this from a generic perspective, although, any insight into individual transmissions (manual, auto, manumatic, CVT, etc.) would be greatly appreciated!
Keep in mind, my understanding of transmissions is limited, so you might have to explain it to a 5 year old!
Thanks!