The Ultimate Electric Ride: Ford’s Electric Car with a Manual Gearbox

According to a Ford patent filing from 2023, the American automotive brand is developing simulated manual transmission technology for electric vehicles, despite the fact that this type of vehicle does not require a transmission.

The document, titled “Shift Mechanism for an Electric Vehicle,” describes the gear stick and components that the driver would use, similar to a conventional manual transmission.

The illustrations show that this type of transmission has two shift patterns: a traditional H-pattern like a 6-speed transmission and a sequential up/down pattern. Notably, Ford has also introduced the concept of “virtual pathways,” meaning the transmission can be customized to have 4, 6, or even 7 gears, depending on the user’s preference or the automaker’s choice.

The document also mentions the potential use of haptic feedback technology (similar to iPhone’s vibration feedback) to simulate the feel of a stick-type shift lever. Thus, Ford’s simulated manual transmission in electric vehicles may allow drivers to customize the number of gears, the position of reverse gear, the heaviness of the shift, and even the “rumble” when shifting.

In reality, Ford is not the only company interested in bringing manual transmissions to electric cars. Last year, Hyundai equipped its Ioniq 5 N electric sports car with the N e-shift and N Active Sound+ systems, simulating a dual-clutch 8-speed transmission found in internal combustion engine vehicles by controlling the torque of the electric motor, using a sound system to mimic engine noise, and adding a vibration feature to simulate a slight jerk when shifting gears. Additionally, Toyota announced a similar concept in 2022, which even includes a simulated clutch pedal to give drivers the full “clutch and shift” experience of a gasoline-powered car.

Thai Son (Tuoitrethudo)