<
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/10/toyota-has-built-an-ev-with-a-fake-transmission-and-weve-driven-it/>
"Electric cars do a lot of things well. They're smooth. They're quiet. They're
easier on the environment, and they're even scientifically proven to be less
stressful. But what they don't tend to be is engaging, at least not in the way
that a traditional car with three pedals and a stick shift is.
A manual car requires a lot more of the driver. That level of forced engagement
brings with it a sort of focus that can make the simple act of driving a lot
more fun. In an ideal world, it would be possible to layer that kind of
engagement on top of the otherwise ideal EV experience.
That is exactly what Toyota has done with what it calls the "Manual BEV
concept." Think of it as an EV that brings all the hands-on enjoyment of a
manual transmission—despite lacking a manual transmission. It's something of a
testbed to find ways to bring more fundamental driver enjoyment to the next
generation of battery-powered electric vehicles, and after running a few laps
around Toyota's test track in one, I'm convinced every sports-oriented EV in
the future needs this."
This could be quite popular with old people. Younger drivers will probably just
find it very silly.
Via
The Risks Digest Volume 33 Issue 92:
http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/33/92#subj5
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
