Subaru patents simulated manual transmission for EVs, hybrids

Artificial manual transmission soon?

Automakers seem to agree that the best driving engagement is achieved when you get to row your own gears. And in the electrified era, automakers are trying to come up with unique ways of preserving that.

For example, Hyundai and Kia have come up with their own simulated tranmissions into their fully-electric vehicles such as the Ioniq 5 N and the EV6 GT, which mimics the gear-changing sensation of a dual-clutch automatic. Even Honda has that in the upcoming Prelude, with its eight simulated cogs in the S+ shift.

That said, Subaru, on the other hand, seems to be working on taking it to a more engaging level. The Japanese manufacturer recently filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization for an entirely simulated manual transmission setup for an EV. And yes, it’s complete with dummy clutch pedals and an H shifter that’s not mechanically connected to anything.

Instead, the system uses sensors to detect the dummy clutch and shifter’s position, which then relays that information to the ECU. The computer then applies the appropriate amount of torque based on what simulated gear is selected, along with the amount of throttle and clutch input. But if the driver doesn’t want to do any of that, there’s a switch that reverts it to the conventional, non-shifting mode.

But wait, there’s more. Subaru even added what they call a “jackrabbit start suppression device”, which works in the same fashion as manual transmission safety switches that prevent accidental launches when starting the car. So yes, Subaru also wants drivers to fully depress the dummy clutch to “start” the EV safely.

That is somehow the direction that automakers want to go as they try to inject a bit more excitement to EVs with these gimmicks. We know nothing beats the original, but when the time comes where we’re only left with EVs, maybe this will do after all.

Source: CarBuzz