Electric Vehicles

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Toyota to offer manual gearbox in next-generation electric cars (www.autocar.co.uk)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I don't really see the point of this. It's just adding complexity for the sake of it. As far as I can tell when you change gear it just changes some software parameters, there are no physical gears. Yet there's a clutch and the ability to stall?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Well a hybrid car is significantly more complicated than a petrol car (multiple power sources that have to be integrated through the drive train), however I'm sure they stretch the pricing well beyond reasonable proportions.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It really depend though, Toyota's HSD system replace the whole gearbox with a hybrid system that only has 2 planetary gear. It is not much bigger than a 7+ speed gearbox.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I have a friend who studied the Toyota Prius gearbox at university to try and figure out improvements, I can say for a fact that their drivetrain is trick as fuck. So in some sense it's reasonable for them to charge a higher price and profit from their R&D work.

Like I say though, I’m sure they stretch the pricing well beyond what is reasonable.

[+] [email protected] -5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

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[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's definitely something of a gimmick, like 3D TV, and especially in its early iterations. However you did just list a genuine benefit of hybrid technology. Also, I know someone with a Mercedes hybrid and that will go up to like 50 mph on battery only, and also delivers ridiculous acceleration like that I've only previously felt on motorbikes, all the while keeping fuel economy above 90 mpg and never bothering to plug it in. The only real downside is how much space the batteries take up in the boot.