Toyota Introduces Manual Transmission for Electric Cars
In a late entry to the electric vehicle market, Toyota aims to differentiate its future products by equipping them with manual transmission. Patent images filed by Toyota in Japan reveal that their manual transmission for electric cars could have up to 14 gears. According to Toyota, this manual transmission will simulate the experience of using a conventional manual transmission found in petrol/diesel cars. Users will still need to step on the clutch to shift gears, and the car will shut down if the operation is not suitable for the speed. Essentially, this electronic transmission replicates the functionality of a manual transmission used in internal combustion engine vehicles.
Typically, conventional cars with internal combustion engines have a maximum of 7 manual gears as additional gears would be superfluous. However, with a simulated transmission, Toyota has no difficulty programming 14 gears for this feature.
An outstanding advantage of this technology is the ability to program a manual transmission for an electric vehicle to emulate the driving experience of any other petrol car on the market. For instance, users can replicate the driving feel of a Toyota RAV4 by analyzing the powertrain and simulating the operating characteristics of this SUV model. Additionally, pre-recorded sounds from the RAV4 will be played at the appropriate times to enhance the experience of being inside the actual car.
Thai Son (Tuoitrethudo)