Manual transmission for EVs!

[Mctaff]

Interesting thought…. But sounds quite bizarre in practice… stick connected to nothing but gives haptic feedback

Lexus in development of a manual transmission for electric cars | Evo

Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? But this is more ‘virtual combustion powertrain’ than just a fake gear stick…

www.evo.co.uk

 

[ADC]

Yeah, saw that today. Sounds neat at first blush, then you realise the other part of the experience is a playing card in the spokes synthesized engine noises in the cabin only... pass.

 

[Jonhklee]

But do you get inertia feedback when changing gears and a slower 0-60 time?

 

[Pegasi]

Innovation always looks to the future. When younger kids experience this in their first car can you imagine being able to switch between the sound of a Lambo or a Hemi? Choosing how your car sounds & how the torque is delivered is certainly interesting.

 

[FederGigant]

But do you get inertia feedback when changing gears and a slower 0-60 time?

Hyundai already has a prototype running with fake paddle shifters and it feels a 100% real. You hear the car kind of revving out (the don't just imitate an engine sound but rather created their own soundtrack) and if you shift, you really feel the shift. And if you don't shift, you hit a simulated limiter. You can do silly things with it.

Edit This video shows how it behaves

 

[frazzer]

This is akin to iPhone camera app making a mechanical shutter sound when taking a photo. There is no shutter, it's entirely fake and meaningless. Young kids using these phones don't even know what that sounds represents. It's satisfying, not as much as the shutter on a Leica M or Nikon F3, but hey, give the kids their kicks or so Apple thinks.

The deeper question is why do we get uneasy about fake experiences? Perhaps because we don't like to be misled, or lied to, or it's a cognitive dissonance between enjoying the experience and knowing it's entirely manufactured. I'm not really a blue pill kind of person, EVs are great, but I don't want fake noises or clutches, keep it real.

 

[Mctaff]

We’re all in the matrix anyway.., what is real?!

 

[frazzer]

We’re all in the matrix anyway.., what is real?!

best not to uncover that endless rabbit hole, otherwise we'll be back at Descartes and go from there

 

[FederGigant]

This is akin to iPhone camera app making a mechanical shutter sound when taking a photo. There is no shutter, it's entirely fake and meaningless. Young kids using these phones don't even know what that sounds represents. It's satisfying, not as much as the shutter on a Leica M or Nikon F3, but hey, give the kids their kicks or so Apple thinks.

The deeper question is why do we get uneasy about fake experiences? Perhaps because we don't like to be misled, or lied to, or it's a cognitive dissonance between enjoying the experience and knowing it's entirely manufactured. I'm not really a blue pill kind of person, EVs are great, but I don't want fake noises or clutches, keep it real.

I think those kind of developments are really great because they add all the drama to EVs, yet if you don't want to, you can switch it off. I also don't need a loud fake engine sound coming from an EV, that's just plain stupid. But inside the cabin, if you can give me a 100 percent immersive shift feel an sound and all the other good stuff, why not? One push of a button and your single gear silent EV has a fabulous sound and a six speed gated shifter. Or a sequential box, if you hit the button again. Or a 25 speed paddle shifter with another push.
Maybe all fake, but who cares if it feels completely real. You have fun and all others outside of the car don't have to hear your roaring engine and you also have all the benefits of an EV in your car. And the best thing about it, it doesn't even add weight to the car. Sound comes from the sound system and the rest is software. The only added weight will be the shifter, paddles, and/or clutch pedal.

 

[Toomanyloti]

To pipe in the sound on an IC car I think is a bit crap. Had one sounded fab inside but nothing outside.

If you get chance to experience a Taycan with sound option then do it. Mine is a right hoot. Even matches a cool pitch change when the rear gearbox shifts up.

Its pretty loud outside too.

Booting it past dog walkers and the like makes em turn round faster than the bonkers smelly exige

 

[frazzer]

I think those kind of developments are really great because they add all the drama to EVs, yet if you don't want to, you can switch it off. I also don't need a loud fake engine sound coming from an EV, that's just plain stupid. But inside the cabin, if you can give me a 100 percent immersive shift feel an sound and all the other good stuff, why not? One push of a button and your single gear silent EV has a fabulous sound and a six speed gated shifter. Or a sequential box, if you hit the button again. Or a 25 speed paddle shifter with another push.
Maybe all fake, but who cares if it feels completely real. You have fun and all others outside of the car don't have to hear your roaring engine and you also have all the benefits of an EV in your car. And the best thing about it, it doesn't even add weight to the car. Sound comes from the sound system and the rest is software. The only added weight will be the shifter, paddles, and/or clutch pedal.

all very true. Then I thought, having just returned home driving my Mx-5, top down in -1c and correcting a cheeky little slide on route, it's the genuine sense of control the delivers that pleasure.

Hmm...always pays to be suspicious of one's ego and grandstanding aspirations. If you just reframe the experience as a video game whilst driving, fake noises and all are perfectly valid and probably quite exciting entertainment. I've enjoyed, and even learnt skills on simulators in the past and they're entirely fake.

And if driving these cars is, in the end just entertainment, and there is no deeper meaning or purpose, just kicks, then why not. It's not like developing a spiritual connection with the horse you're riding, it's just a more enjoyable way to get from A to B, or more often than not from A to A.

 

[FederGigant]

all very true. Then I thought, having just returned home driving my Mx-5, top down in -1c and correcting a cheeky little slide on route, it's the genuine sense of control the delivers that pleasure.

Hmm...always pays to be suspicious of one's ego and grandstanding aspirations. If you just reframe the experience as a video game whilst driving, fake noises and all are perfectly valid and probably quite exciting entertainment. I've enjoyed, and even learnt skills on simulators in the past and they're entirely fake.

And if driving these cars is, in the end just entertainment, and there is no deeper meaning or purpose, just kicks, then why not. It's not like developing a spiritual connection with the horse you're riding, it's just a more enjoyable way to get from A to B, or more often than not from A to A.

I'm not saying that it will change everything and is the way to go. I get what you're saying about driving your MX-5, because I have one myself and know that it is way more fun than my 500hp Tesla. What I rather think is that it's an interesting concept and there might be a possibility to get the best out of both worlds, so I would love to see manufacturers trying.

 

[frazzer]

I'm not saying that it will change everything and is the way to go. I get what you're saying about driving your MX-5, because I have one myself and know that it is way more fun than my 500hp Tesla. What I rather think is that it's an interesting concept and there might be a possibility to get the best out of both worlds, so I would love to see manufacturers trying.

Well if EV makers are becoming aware that making them enjoyable to drive is worthwhile that's no bad thing. Presumably this must be the focus of the upcoming Lotus type 135, otherwise whats the point?

 

[TomE]

Watch the onboard video of Gav Kershaw taking the Evija up the hill at Goodwood. He and his passenger seem to be having plenty of fun without a gearstick or flappy paddles or fake vroom vroom noises!

 

[frazzer]

Watch the onboard video of Gav Kershaw taking the Evija up the hill at Goodwood. He and his passenger seem to be having plenty of fun without a gearstick or flappy paddles or fake vroom vroom noises!

for £2m they'd better be having fun

 

[EspritGuy]

This is akin to iPhone camera app making a mechanical shutter sound when taking a photo. There is no shutter, it's entirely fake and meaningless. Young kids using these phones don't even know what that sounds represents. It's satisfying, not as much as the shutter on a Leica M or Nikon F3, but hey, give the kids their kicks or so Apple thinks.

The deeper question is why do we get uneasy about fake experiences? Perhaps because we don't like to be misled, or lied to, or it's a cognitive dissonance between enjoying the experience and knowing it's entirely manufactured. I'm not really a blue pill kind of person, EVs are great, but I don't want fake noises or clutches, keep it real.

The fake engine sound feature is going to mean a lot to the Tuner crowd.

 

[Jonhklee]

Plus this….

 

[FederGigant]

I don’t want fake V8 noise, however I like the general idea of artificial sound to add emotions. The Taycan for example has a cool sound and there they just recorded the drivetrain sounds and used all the lower frequencies it produces and amplified them.