Honda CEO: ‘I’m Not Sure If We Can Replace the Manual Transmission’

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We aren’t ready yet to give up on stick shifts for good. We realize that how the dawning EV era is. That to end the manual transmission as we know it. This is what they said in the interview with them. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mice and head of electrification Shinji Aoyama.

HondaArtificially or Mechanically:

“Artificially, we can do it. Mechanically, it is not easy,” Aoyama said. He also added “like an extension of active sound control.” He personally does not like the idea of an artificial solution like this. Honda would pursue other ways of making its EVs fun to drive.

The company would pursue any sort of simulated or artificial manual transmissions for its upcoming EVs. It’s not even for the electric sports cars. Which is part of its already confirmed future lineup.

Being edgy:

Both managers said they see battery technology, as well as the packaging and programming. The overall engineering of electric motors and direct-drive units is important. They are differentiating the factors for electric vehicles and how they feel on the road. Mice said that it’s important for Honda’s EVs to be “edgy”. Also, they must distinct from competitors in terms of the driving experience. He mentioned that, “I’m not sure if we can replace the manual transmission.”

Plans in stages:

Honda plans to phase in electric vehicles in stages. It aims for EVs to make up 40 percent of sales by 2030. It will rise up to 80 percent by 2035. In 2040 it may be100 percent.  In the meantime, a few different manual-transmission vehicles remain in Honda and Acura’s U.S. lineups. Multiple versions of the Civic and others don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.