Shift gears yourself in the electric car? Lexus is working on it!

An electric car does not need a gearbox. Nevertheless, they are working at Lexus on a manual transmission for an electric vehicle. Why? Because it’s fun, according to the responsible technicians.

Apparently, the project started as a conversation between Lexus engineers listing what they value in a combustion engine car. And one of the things that was mentioned was a manual gearbox.

Lexus has been working on a manual transmission for an electric car for a long time

Lexus has been working on a manual transmission for electric cars for three years. Which is surprising given that the brand itself isn’t exactly at the forefront of the EV space. The UX 300e disappoints, the RZ 450e arrives and it’s a Toyota bZ4X under the skin.

The ‘manual transmission’ doesn’t really shift

Speaking of the electric UX 300e, now a prototype is driving around with the new Lexus manual transmission. It has three pedals and a shifter, but it doesn’t actually shift gears. Especially the ‘transmission’ tries very hard to simulate that it shifts.

As a driver, for example, you have to clutch correctly, otherwise the UX 300e switches off. Not really, of course, as the “spin” is simply programmed into the electric drivetrain to make the shifting experience as lifelike as possible.

To help the driver shift gears, a fake engine sound can be heard in the cabin of the Lexus prototype. After all, the electric motor is almost noiseless and doesn’t actually go from resistance to resistance.

Manual gearbox used in the successor to the Lexus LFA

According to Lexus, the simulated manual transmission isn’t just a joke. The “transmission” is to be used in the successor to the LFA, which we have already got to know as the Electrified Sport Concept.