Subaru Patents Manual Electric Car with Clutch

JAKARTA - Subaru has just taken a smart step by presenting a surprise that has the potential to change the landscape of high-performance electric vehicles. Through Subaru's bold idea, it will present a true manual mode complete with a clutch on a battery-powered car.

If other manufacturers focus on gear shifting simulation as applied to the Ioniq 5, Subaru is thinking of a different approach. They filed a patent that allows drivers to feel the sensation of a manual transmission on an EV, including the use of a clutch pedal.

This patent was first discovered by and has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office with number 20260021713. This means that Subaru has secured the idea for possible mass production in the future, as reported by Carbuzz, Monday, February 2.

Actually, the idea of a manual electric car is not entirely new, a number of specialist companies have carried out similar conversions, and even showed off a prototype based on several years ago. However, Subaru's move to patent this system could be a major breakthrough if it is actually realized into production lines.

So, how does it work? Interestingly, this system does not use conventional transmission. Instead, a series of sensors are tasked with simulating the sensations of a manual gearbox.

Meanwhile, the clutch serves as a control module, the pedal is not directly connected to the transmission, but rather sends an electronic signal to regulate the electric motor response. No less smart, the driver is still given the freedom to choose.

When you want to drive casually or get stuck in traffic, this system allows you to switch from manual to automatic mode, just like EVs in general. Although it is not explained in detail in the patent document, it is likely that there is a special switch to switch between the two modes.

Subaru also has a safety mechanism. Like a gasoline car with a manual transmission, the vehicle cannot be turned on before the clutch pedal is pressed.

Interestingly, this rule applies both when the car is in manual and automatic mode, a classic touch brought into the electrification era. If it is realized, this innovation is not only about technology, but also an effort to maintain the "driving soul" in the midst of an increasingly silent and automatic wave of electric vehicles.