American General Motors believes that more people can be convinced to drive an electric car if the cars are equipped with fake manual gears.
What can get you into an electric car? If the answer is a simulated manual transmission, you're probably the one General Motors wants to make cars for in the future.
In any case, the car group believes that more drivers can be convinced to choose an electric car if it also has a clutch pedal. Or at least something that looks and behaves like a clutch pedal.
GM has thus submitted an application for a new patent for this kind of technology in the USA. That's what GM Authority writes.
But even if the clutch – and thus the pedal – is actually connected to the electric motor's gearbox, it could create a feeling 'that is more engaging for the driver', writes GM in the patent application.
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At the same time, however, the group claims that the simulated manual transmission will not be able to directly affect the engine, which is why neither the electric motor nor the gearbox can take direct damage if you should miss a gear.
Just because GM is now hoping to have a patent for this kind of thing doesn't mean that neither Cadillac nor Chevrolet, both General Motors brands, will ever use the technology.
Especially not when it comes to something like a 'manual gear'. In the domestic market in the USA, for years there has been a longer and longer gap between new cars with a manual transmission. And some car brands don't build these kinds of cars anymore.
The automatic transmission has also become increasingly popular here at home. Especially in line with the spread of the electric car. In general, there is no gear change to follow in an electric car. In other words, other than the choice between 'drive', neutral and R for reverse – i.e. reverse gear.
Having said that, the trend has long been towards the extinction of the third pedal. Already in 2020, 6 out of 10 new cars in Denmark were sold with automatic transmission.
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