The patent titled "Shifter Assembly For Electric Vehicle", published on 20 March, describes a classic gearbox lever that is attached to the floor as if in an old Ford Mustang. But instead of connecting to a manual transmission, it simply transmits signals to an electronic controller that varies the engine's torque. That is, the driver moves the lever as if shifting gears, and the electronics mimic the pauses in power to create the feel of a manual transmission of a car with an internal combustion engine.
In fact, this idea is not original: Hyundai has already realised a similar effect in the Ioniq 5 N with the help of paddles, and Toyota is testing an electric car with a clutch simulator and even the possibility of stalling. However, Ford has gone the other way - small motors are built into the base of the shifter, which add resistance when shifting "gears" for a full sensation.
For now, it's just a patent. It was originally filed for 2023, so Ford has been thinking about this for a while. Whether this idea will make it to production cars is unknown.
Source: InsideEVs
