Toyota electric cars will have a gear shift system to provide a “wow” experience.

Toyota is preparing to launch an electric car that simulates a manual transmission, and features pseudo stick shifting, a clutch, and even virtual acceleration sounds.

Electric cars don’t change gears, and a “manual electric car” will be entirely cosmetic. But Toyota is pushing ahead with plans to make the driving experience more enjoyable for traditionalists who love combustion engines.

Combined with the enhanced ride range and sleek design, we’ll really give our customers a ‘wow! Takeru Kato, President of Toyota’s Newly Created Electric Vehicle Factory, said.

Kato is leading Toyota’s “manual EV” development, along with other models that will be introduced starting in 2026.

Toyota is changing gears and aims to build 1.5 million electric cars in 2026

Manual transmissions in manual transmission cars were once ubiquitous but were fading out in the United States. The system requires drivers to operate the clutch and manually change gears as the vehicle’s speed changes.

The vast majority of gas-powered cars on the market today use an automatic transmission—which, as the name suggests, handles gear changes automatically. Electric vehicles use electric motors that run silently and don’t need to shift gears at all.

Toyota’s “manual EV” will appeal to enthusiasts who love the roar of the petrol engine and the feeling of the car shifting gears under their control. Kato said software designed to simulate those sounds would “amplify the driving pleasure”. The Wall Street Journal.

Ford and GM gas and diesel trucks aren’t going anywhere anytime soon

Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda speaks at a briefing on the company’s electric battery strategies in Tokyo, Japan, December 14, 2021. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-hoon/file photo)

The technology under development will allow Toyota EV owners to customize the acceleration sounds and driving feel of their vehicles to mimic a sports car or classic car. The automaker is also looking to make batteries last longer at lower costs.

Focusing on hybrid technology, Toyota is striving to catch up with the electric vehicle market by launching 10 new electric vehicles globally that will be manufactured at an annual production rate of 1.5 million by 2026.

“In the next few years, we will expand our line in the important electric battery category,” Toyota President Koji Sato said in April.

Auto shops struggle to find trained mechanics amid national shortage: ‘It’s really scary’

A close-up of the sign with the logo on the front of the building at the San Francisco regional headquarters of Toyota Motor Corporation in the park of Bishop Ranch offices in San Ramon, California, October 20, 2017. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Toyota currently offers just three all-electric models and sold fewer than 25,000 last year, according to Reuters, compared to 2.6 million hybrids.

The automaker’s new electric vehicle production target is 300,000 higher than previously expected, according to S&P Global Mobility.

Click here to read more about FOX BUSINESS

An examination of a Tesla Model Y build that one executive described to Automotive News as “a work of art” and “incredible” helped prompt the company to change to an “EV-first” mindset instead of designing battery-powered models using the same architecture as internal combustion engine vehicles. A new unit led by Kato will focus on electric vehicles and will oversee their development.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Toyota aims to sell 3.5 million electric vehicles in 2030.

Fox Business’ Gary Gastello contributed to this report.