Traditionally, gear sticks show standard layouts like “P, R, N, D” for automatics or numbered gears for manuals. Some older vehicles included an “E” gear, which stood for Economy. This setting acted like a high gear designed to conserve fuel by lowering engine revolutions during steady driving.
With modern advances in engine technology, computerized fuel management made the dedicated Economy gear unnecessary, turning the “E” into a historical curiosity. Today, the letter “E” is more commonly associated with electric vehicles, reflecting the shift toward simplified, low-emission driving systems.
In short, the “E” gear links automotive history with the rise of electric mobility — first as a fuel-saving mode, now as a symbol of the EV era.
