Toyota wants future EVs to have manual transmission

People might think that the impending demise of the combustion engine will put an end to the age-long debate between manual and automatic transmissions. Toyota thinks otherwise, with a new patent filing showing plans to bring a stick shift to its future electric vehicles.

The technology uses a seemingly complex system to simulate the feel of a manual

According to the filing, the Japanese automaker will implement a clutch-actuated manual transmission complete with a shift lever, something that should be familiar to current drivers. But it’s important to note that both will not be necessary for the EV’s operation.  

“The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter,” the patent document explains. 

In layman’s terms, the simulated gear selection will regulate the torque output of the onboard electric motor, with a simulated clutch pedal providing virtual feedback. Completing the experience is a tachometer readout on the dashboard, and it even has the capability to replicate an engine stall.     

Having a patent on the mechanism is not a guarantee that it will reach the production stage

The system will imitate the typical conditions (and sensations) of driving a vehicle that uses manual shifting, without the emissions of combustion-powered models. This suggests that the presence of the stick shift will be more for driver satisfaction, and that users can choose to deactivate the feature when desired.   

EVs in general have no need for gears, given the instant torque generated by their electric motors. Most battery-powered cars such as Tesla models commonly use a single-gear transmission, while a two-step automatic gearbox is standard on both the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT for better performance on highway drives. 

Toyota’s patent filing could be seen as pandering to customers’ sense of nostalgia, but having a more engaging drive on an EV couldn’t hurt, especially if it makes the driver more alert. Besides, patent filings are not a guarantee that a piece of technology will make it to production, so it would be interesting to see how the company will go about it moving forward.    

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