Toyota is now working on a manual transmission simulation for electric cars, according to patents that have surfaced. Yes, you read that right. This involves a gearstick lever and a clutch pedal to pseudo-realise manual gear changes.
However, the gear stick will remain more show than go: the actual gear changes are only simulated by the onboard electronics. The system is reportedly capable of simulating almost all aspects of a real transmission, with all the drawbacks that includes: “Simulated gear selection adjusts the amount of torque being delivered by an electric motor, adjusting simulated RPMs shown on a tachometer, all while a simulated clutch pedal delivers feedback similar to engaging a clutch. The system can even simulate a stall,” writes road and track.
gearpatrol.com, roadandtrack.com
Keyword: Toyota wants to bring back the gear shift