Toyota, through its motorsport division, has reportedly been working on an electric sports car with a clutch, gearbox, and simulated engine noises. According to Chairman Akio Toyoda, Toyota Gazoo Racing has started testing its first all-electric prototype, which he personally oversees.
During the latest Le Mans 24 Hours race, Chairman Toyoda further asserted that he expects the sportscar to match internal combustion engine vehicles’ driving qualities, such as the GR86, GR Supra, GR Yaris, and GR Corolla.
“The starting point is not what powertrain the car has, but how fun it is to drive regardless of that powertrain. I actually had the opportunity to test drive a BEV GR we are working on recently. I don’t know if that car will make it onto the market yet, but the first priority of making these kinds of cars is that they need to be fun to drive, no matter what powertrain they use.”
Chairman Akio Toyoda
About the prototype
The Toyota GR electric sports car will feature many qualities similar to ICE vehicles, such as clutch, gearbox, and even simulated engine noises, Chairman Toyoda noted.
Notably, Chairman Toyoda has long emphasized the importance of the auditory delight of driving a fast car when marketing the company’s engagement in hydrogen combustion tech development for motorsport and prospectively road car applications.
“The biggest difference to other BEVs we are developing is that, when you are in the GR BEV, you can actually hear the engine noises, even if you can’t smell gasoline.
There is also a manual transmission and also a clutch. If you put someone in the car and asked them to drive it and guess the powertrain, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
Chairman Akio Toyoda
Technical design
Toyota Chief Engineer Takashi Watanabe noted that the company would not directly connect the gearstick and clutch to the motor. However, they plan to mimic shifts by modifying the electric motor’s torque configurations.
It will have simulated engine sounds pumped into the cabin, but the sounds will be inaudible from outside the vehicle.
“We would want to make sure we continue to offer products for enthusiasts.”
Chairman Akio Toyoda
Interestingly, the car would sport a BEV appearance, indicating that it would be a new model instead of a bespoke one.
Would the prototype arrive on the market soon?
Chairman Toyoda has not yet confirmed if the prototype will actually hit the market. Nonetheless, the concept demonstrates the company’s efforts in these kinds of projects.
“Whether it makes it to the market or not, what the company is trying to do is explore the idea of what it is that we shouldn’t lose in a car even if it becomes BEV.
I can proudly say that this is an example of how Toyota has changed into a company where members can look into an idea that sounds interesting, create a car from their ideas and then show it for test drives.”
Chairman Akio Toyoda
See Also:
- Toyota announces plans for new battery tech and EV innovation
- Toyota to establish a new US battery lab to test electric and hybrid vehicle batteries
- Toyota commits an additional $2.1B investment to its battery plant expansion in the US
- Toyota global car sales grew almost 5% YoY in April on stronger demand
- Toyota plans to start US electric vehicle production by 2025, as per a report
Toyota recently unveiled plans to introduce 15 new BEVs by 2025 and sell 1.5 million all-electric cars by 2026.
Nonetheless, uncertainty remains if the new Toyota GR BEV will feature the 2026-slated futuristic li-ion batteries that the Japanese automaker recently disclosed. The company can also equip the car with a solid-state battery, which it claims offers a range of up to 1450km.
