Subaru’s Interesting Patent
If you trawl around patent databases long enough, you’ll spot something interesting from time to time. This time around, it comes from Subaru, and it might change the dynamic of performance EVs should the company push through and actually build it.
Forget simulated gear shifts (sorry, Ioniq 5 N, we still love you), Subaru is thinking of a way to add a true manual mode to battery-powered vehicles, clutch and all. Spotted first by CarBuzz, the patent was recently published at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (you can look it up using patent no. 20260021713), so Subaru is already calling dibs on the idea for potential mass production.
Subaru
How it Works
Okay, the idea of a manual EV isn’t entirely new. There are a couple of specialist companies that already do conversions, and even Toyota made a prototype that used the body of a Corolla Levin a few years back. But Subaru’s move to patent it is potentially groundbreaking.
So, how does it work? There is no actual transmission, and there is not much in the way of hardware. In this case, a series of sensors simulates the sensation of having an actual gearbox, and the ‘clutch’ is more of a control module; it seems that the clutch pedal has no direct linkage to the transmission. It’s all pretty neat and interesting, but there’s more.
Two ‘Transmissions’ in One Package
Of course, there are days when one just wants to go on a cruise or just wants to avoid the tedious nature of shifting in traffic. What’s clever about this patent is that it can be switched from manual mode to automatic, just like a conventional EV. It’s not mentioned in the patent, but presumably, there is a switch that lets the driver switch between manual and automatic.
It also has a built-in safety mechanism that prevents the vehicle from being started. Like a gas-fed car with a stick shift, one has to depress the clutch first before starting it up. Regardless if the car is left in manual or automatic mode, the pedal has to be depressed before operation, at least from our understanding.
Subaru
What Car Will Get It?
It’s still unknown where this piece of (patented) tech could be applied. That being said, the plush sibling of the Solterra (Lexus RZ) was already fitted with a simulated manual in prototype guise. It’s possible that all cars built on the same platform could get it down the line, provided they hang around long enough to benefit from it.
Also, do remember that Subaru showed a performance EV concept during last year’s Japan Mobility Show. Dubbed the Performance-E STI Concept, it was meant to capture the spirit of past Impreza STI models and merge it with battery power. If there’s one car that could get the simulated manual, the production version of that concept might be the top choice.
Jacob Oliva/Autoblog
