That is, it is “not just a design concept,” says the chief engineer Lexus.
According to patent applications, Toyota is working on a manual transmission for electric vehicles. More often than not patents are not used, but not this time. The Lexus division is seriously working on the box, investing a lot of time and money in it.
The operation of this box will be similar to the operation of the mechanics we are all familiar with: the gear lever, the clutch pedal and the tachometer. Although the “clutch pedal” is a conventional name since this pedal is not connected to the clutch. There is no clutch itself, as well as gears or synchronizers. Everything is simulated with software.
Takashi Watanabe, chief engineer for Lexus Electrified, described the unit as “a simulated driving map with a pedal and shifter that mimics the feel of driving a manual transmission.” The sensations are so realistic that the car can even “stall” or roll backwards when moving away uphill.
And since the system is software controlled, the driver can choose their preferred gear ratios.
“This is not just a design concept. It must become a reality,” says Takashi Watanabe.
Interestingly, Watanabe spoke about the new technology while standing next to the Lexus Electrified Sport concept, a car rumored to be the electric successor to the Lexus LFA.
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