If this little thing has always stopped you from switching to an electric car, know that this manufacturer has taken care of it

News JVTech If this little thing has always stopped you from switching to an electric car, know that this manufacturer has taken care of it

Still the old way

The promise of electric vehicles makes you wantbut the latter unfortunately comes with some downsides for driving enthusiasts who do not want to sacrifice the sensations that are so dear to them. In fact, electric cars generally do not have neither manual nor automatic transmission.

Their motor delivering its maximum speed at start-up, changing gears becomes simply useless. All you need to do is use the vehicle controls and the two pedals. These commands in question are all simple: D for Drive (roll forward), R for Reverse (back up), N for Neutral (neutral) and P for Park (so that the vehicle is stopped).

But many drivers appreciate the sensations brought by manual gearboxes. And one of the largest Japanese car manufacturers has understood this well. According to The Drive, Honda would not intend to give up on manual gearboxes. During an event where Honda was able to show the technology linked to its next “O series” vehicle, an engineer would have confirmed the presence of a synthetic manual gearbox for all their electric vehicles.

“A unique and exciting driving experience”

Honda are after all recognized for the quality of their manual transmissions, and no longer offering them would amount to alienating a large part of their customers. An interesting outcome, since in 2022, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe spoke on this subject by explaining: “I’m not sure it’s possible to replace the manual transmission.”

In the same discussion, the head of electrics at Honda Shinji Aoyama shared the same feeling. And according to him, the best way to please driving and Honda vehicle enthusiasts would be to provide a unique and exciting driving experience. The reason for this change of heart is currently unknown.

According to The Drive, Honda’s manual transmission for electric vehicles will of course include a clutch pedal and will be able to simulate driving with a traditional manual gearbox. The Exact Way Synthetic Gear Ratios Work remains unclear. While Toyota has previously said it allows stalling for its manual-equipped electric vehicles, it’s unclear whether Honda will do the same. None of these vehicles have true mechanical connection.

Honda engineers were also asked by The Drive about the potential for real driver feedback with the manual transmission electric vehicle. A Honda engineer admitted that these electric vehicles with manual transmission did not offer the same mechanical satisfaction that models like the Honda S2000 et l’Acura NSXboth praised for their shifter feel impeccable.