Electric cars have different powertrains from their ICE counterparts, but not only that, the whole driving experience is also way apart. But nowadays manufacturers are trying to bridge that gap by trying out new tech. Ford has recently patented a manual gear shifter for EVs. The patent, titled Shifter Assembly For Electric Vehicle, was published on March 20 and shows a traditional gear stick mounted in a box. But there is a difference. In a regular car, it would be mounted on the transmission tunnel and connected via mechanical linkages to a manual transmission. Here, it simply sits on a raised section of the floor and connects to various actuators that are managed by an electronic power controller. According to the patent, this “manages the flow of electrical energy delivered by the battery pack, controlling the speed of the motors and the torque each motor produces.” Ford’s EV shifter also has small motors built into the base that provide force feedback through the lever. This way, you will feel the same vibrations you get when shifting gears in say, a powerful V8 engine. It provides some notchy resistance when you move through the “gears”. And since most EVs don’t have transmissions, the entire assembly can be retracted if you want to drive normally. As it stands, this is only a patent for now. It was filed by Ford in 2023, and there is no word on when and if it will become a reality. But if it does, it will surely add a much-needed spunk to the whole EV driving experience. But Ford is not alone. Hyundai has simulated paddle shifters on the Ioniq 5 N, and Toyota is working on the lines of a stick shift with clutch and the works on the Lexus RZ. Source: Inside EVs
