Toyota’s manual transmission for electric cars one step closer – report

A production version of the Toyota FT-Se sports car will reportedly become the brand’s first electric model to be available with a manual transmission.

Japanese car giant Toyota is one step closer to putting its manual transmission for electric cars into production, according to overseas reports.

Toyota has previously announced it was developing a manual transmission for a battery-powered model, though UK publication Autocar reports a production version of the recently-revealed FT-Se electric sports car concept will debut with the unique layout.

Revealed during last week’s Tokyo motor show, the Toyota FT-Se features similar proportions to the mid-engined petrol MR2 of the 1980s and 1990s – and is expected to go into production from 2026.

Toyota’s FT-Se concept

As previously reported, it is likely the production version of the FT-Se will be based on Toyota’s next-generation electric-car platform, which Autocar reports is being prepared to work with the manual transmission.

According to the publication, the road-going Toyota FT-Se would likely borrow its clutch pedal and gear shifter assembly from the GR86 sports car, though the actual transmission would be electronically controlled without any physical connections.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda – an amateur racer in his spare time – has previously said he is involved with the electric sports car project, which is being developed by the Japanese auto giant’s in-house performance skunkworks, Gazoo Racing.

“The starting point is not what powertrain the car has, but how fun it is to drive regardless of that powertrain,” Mr Toyoda told Autocar earlier this year.

“I actually had the opportunity to test drive a [battery-electric] 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.”

Earlier this month, an unsubstantiated report by Japanese magazine Best Car – citing a reliable source – claimed Toyota will bring back the MR2 nameplate in 2026 for a petrol-powered sports car.

However, the FT-Se’s production timing could lead to the electric sports car adopting the MR2 name, either alongside the petrol model or as a battery-only coupe.

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