The world of patents is a strange one. Some protect concepts that are due for production, while others simply stop other folks from pursuing the same idea. We’re not sure which this particular effort will turn out to be, but let’s hope the former because it suggests that Ford engineers are working on a manual shifter for electric cars.
The patent summary reads: “The shifter assembly includes a base, a shifter handle, and a plurality of actuators.” It doesn’t say exactly how many, keeping the patent open for a vast number of gate-shaped designs. It goes on to say that the stick moves on the base ‘in a predetermined virtual path.’
The design uses a bunch of electronics, including haptic motors, to synthesize the feeling and motion of changing gears. This isn’t the first time such a feature has been explored, though.
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Back in 2022, Toyota filed a patent for a virtual transmission and tested the ‘Manual BEV concept’ in a Lexus UX300e. That combined a joystick, a fake clutch, and some fancy coding to simulate real driving feel. Oh, and it may eventually make production in the successor to the Lexus LFA.
And let’s not forget the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and its non-gimmicky N e-Shift, which does a pretty convincing job of pretending to have an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission when initiated.
Gear-changing fakery has pros and cons, of course. On the upside—as Lexus boss Koji Sato says—there’s more potential for more engagement between car and driver, which could make EVs more fun to drive. The downside is more components, meaning more bits that could break, and currently, EVs are sold on their simplistic, less-to-go-wrong build architecture.
Think this patent is one Ford should pursue to production?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
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