Toyota developing manual transmissions for EVs

Toyota has filed a fresh patent that reveals it is developing a clutch-operated manual transmission for future pure-electric cars.

While most car-makers rely on a single reduction gear, or a more sophisticated two-speed transmission as seen in the likes of the Porsche Taycan, Toyota is working on a more traditional gearbox that will offer a shift pattern that will mirror its latest Toyota GR 86 coupe.

It's not entirely clear how the new transmission will work, but it's thought demand could be driven by enthusiasts both for high-speed road and track use and for much slower off-road progress when a manual transmission could help manage torque.

Within the patent application, Toyota expands further: "The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter."

It's the multiple references to the word 'pseudo' that suggests there will be no direct physical connection between the clutch and gear lever, with the car-maker developing a shift-by-wire mechanism.

Ensuring the new transmission offers a rewarding change, Toyota says in its trademark application it will incorporate force-feedback to provide a mechanical feel.

"The electric vehicle also includes a shift reaction force generator that generates a shift reaction force in response to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using by the operating of the reaction force actuator," the company said.

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