CVT or many-gear auto transmission is nothing like the experience of direct drive EV.
CVTs are mostly gutless because gas engines are gutless except at a very narrow RPM band.
The 0-60 times on EVs are impressive. But it's their 0-30 ranges that are absolutely mindblowing. My little boring Volt easily zips past even 'muscle' cars straight off from a red light (of course they easily catch up later, but I don't care)
I've test driven a Hyundai Ioniq which comes with a six speed automatic transmission and if it's a representative example then I guess it's still not "it" - at least in my view.
There's a level of smoothness and instant response that I haven't seen in cars which are not directly propelled by an electric motor.
I have a CVT in a Subaru and they decided to make it feel like a "normal" car by pretending to shift. I wish I could disable that. At lower RPMs it doesn't play that game.
Honda hybrids have mechanical CVT. Except the new Accord, which has no gearbox and uses electric drivetrain for slow speeds and direct engine coupling for highway.
This was achieved with CVT (Continous Variable Transmission). I did not like to drive one, but it already exists.
Also I currently have a car with 7 gear automatic transmission and the acceleration is pretty smooth.
>lurchy, awkward automatic transmissions fade into distant memory.
Again, newer automatic transmission aren't bad anymore.