Toyota is contemplating faux engine sounds and a guide transmission for a future electrical sports activities automobile, chairman Akio Toyoda stated in a current interview with Autocar. The purpose is to duplicate the total expertise of a gasoline automobile—together with a few of the less-fun elements.

Toyoda, who just lately stepped down as CEO and is the grandson of the the automaker’s founder, stated the sports activities automobile will drive and sound similar to a combustion-engine automobile—with out the scent of gasoline.

“You may truly hear the engine noises,” Toyoda stated, including that “there’s additionally a guide transmission and a clutch pedal.”

2023 Toyota Supra

The guide gearbox and clutch will not be linked on to the driveline, Toyota chief engineer Takashi Watanabe stated in the identical article. As a substitute, the automobile will simulate shifts and modify torque, to the purpose the place it may even be programmed to let a automobile roll again on hills—and even stall.

With a handful of exceptions, EVs haven’t got (or want) multi-speed transmissions of any variety. They could even harm effectivity. However Toyoda is a giant proponent of driver involvement, and guide gearboxes in efficiency EVs is likely to be one method to obtain that.

The promise of driver involvement may clarify why there’s been a lot speak of guide transmissions for EVs. Toyota’s Lexus division introduced final 12 months that it was testing a software-based system to simulate guide shifting. And several other suppliers, together with ZF, have made an attraction for multi-speed transmissions for EVs. Main engineers and R&D executives usually say it is not price it although.

2022 Toyota GR86

The concept of a Toyota electrical sports activities automobile is not new. The automaker stated it was engaged on one in 2012, and the thought of a guide transmission was additionally talked about. In 2016, Toyoda took the lead of the firm’s electrical automobile operations. In 2021 Toyota teased ideas previewing a few of 30 new EVs globally by 2030, with a sports activities automobile amongst them.

Such a sports activities automobile may benefit from the battery advances for the longer term outlined earlier this week—together with a solid-state battery due in 2027, with the potential for 10-minute fast-charging.