The pseudo-manual transmission design that Lexus has been working on recently will also make it into electric Toyotas in a few years. The corresponding announcement was made by the automaker during the recent Toyota Technical Workshop.
The first production car with this option is scheduled to appear in 2026, but with one caveat: the demand has to be high enough for it to stay profitable. Failing that, the production will be wrapped up.
Fake-manual cars will use every means at their disposal to make ‘shifts’ convincing on every level, Toyota says. They will have a gear lever, three pedals and electric motors capable of adjusting their RPM counts to emulate the shifts with greater accuracy. The company might even implement emergency braking when the driver releases the clutch by mistake. Last but not least, drivers will be able to fine-tune their engine soundtracks with new melodies and sound effects planned for addition via OTA updates.
At the time, though, the Japanese corporation is not focused solely on the development of this feature – it is also actively conducting market studies to figure out how much prospective clients may be willing to pay for such an option and whether they are at all interested. The availability date may shift either way depending on how well-received the feature will be.