Toyota is contemplating faux engine sounds and a handbook transmission for a future electrical sports activities automotive, chairman Akio Toyoda mentioned in a latest interview with Autocar. The goal is to copy the complete expertise of a gasoline automotive—together with a number of the less-fun elements.

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

“You’ll be able to really hear the engine noises,” Toyoda mentioned, including that “there may be additionally a handbook transmission and a clutch pedal.”

2023 Toyota Supra

The handbook gearbox and clutch will not be related on to the driveline, Toyota chief engineer Takashi Watanabe mentioned in the identical article. As an alternative, the automotive will simulate shifts and regulate torque, to the purpose the place it might even be programmed to let a automotive roll again on hills—and even stall.

With a handful of exceptions, EVs haven’t got (or want) multi-speed transmissions of any sort. They might even damage effectivity. However Toyoda is a giant proponent of driver involvement, and handbook gearboxes in efficiency EVs is perhaps one technique to obtain that.

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

2022 Toyota GR86

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

Such a sports activities automotive would possibly make the most of the battery advances for the long run outlined earlier this week—together with a solid-state battery due in 2027, with the potential for 10-minute fast-charging.