Electric manual gearbox?

[xDanielxOossiex]

My dad and I were talking about cars and asked me if I knew if this exists: A gas/diesel powered car with a manual gearbox, but shifting is not mechanical but done by a computer of some sort (with Clutch, brake and gas pedal, no automatic)

Does this actually exist?

[3 Lions]

I don't think gearboxes like this exist yet, going off Formula-E specs it's electrically powered but the gearbox is still a mechanical manual sequential box.  

Edited February 4, 2018 by LinusTechTipsFanFromDarlo

[Zodiark1593]

Tesla's 1st gen roadster used a 2 speed gearbox. However, issues arose concerning the electric motor destroying the gearbox. Their later vehicles have all been one speed gearboxes since.

 

Though with enough voltage, and the resulting very wide torque curve, I don't imagine there being many circumstances outside racing that would require either a further gear reduction (tires spin easily enough as is), or a much taller gear (speeds on current models top at somewhere between 100-130 MPH). Also, more complex gearboxes would preclude possibility of utilizing additional motors. An AWD may have a motor on front and back, or even a motor for each wheel.

 

I suppose if an economy model is made with a particularly low voltage battery, then more gears may be of some benefit to reduce overall amp loads and keep wiring cool, though tight top speed restrictions will probably be necessary as well.

[broron]

if you mean something like a manual gearbox which shifts using actuators, the Smart Fortwo of the first and second generation had that

Edit: although the clutch is operated via actuators, too

 

[Not_Sean]

interesting one, but don't know why a company would do it, with all modern (hell 1990 and up) most cars have smooth gear shifts that require very little effort so to actuate them would be pointless and with Auto boxes using ether CVT, Dual clutch or other forms of wizardry to shift in 0.00x seconds doesn't seem to be much need from that side. 

[flibberdipper]

Conveniently these are a thing now. https://electrek.co/2018/01/12/genovation-gxe-all-electric-corvette-based-supercar/

[broron]

low cost, "easy" construction and high efficiency are big pros to these kind gearboxes, the cons being low shift speeds/comfort (easy to build, difficult to master)

although phased out on small vehicles, most european trucks still use automated gearboxes

[broron]

10 minutes ago, tmcclelland455 said:

Conveniently these are a thing now. https://electrek.co/2018/01/12/genovation-gxe-all-electric-corvette-based-supercar/

...
just why though?

[flibberdipper]

1 minute ago, broron said:

...
just why though?

Why not? I imagine if they got the electric motor to be fairly snappy and responsive so that it doesn't act lethargic during a shift it would be fun to drive, and the trannys C7's have will take some power before they spew their guts on the ground.

[broron]

the torque of eletric motors increases linearly with the rpm (higher rpm, more power), so only one gear needed to turn down the rpm for more torque

combustion engines on the other hand have a limited range

 

https://i.stack.imgur.com/BshX5.jpg
vs
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/docs/documents/1503/electric_motor_speed_vs_torque_power.png

[Monkey Dust]

They don't have a clutch peddle, but automated manuals were a big thing in the '00s, and the Lamborghini Aventador still uses one. They were the precursor to DSG boxes, a slower and a rougher gear change, but quite similar otherwise. 

 

Ferrari was a huge advocate of the single clutch automated manual, first featured on the F355 and lasted until the end of the 599 GTB. It was used throughout the Fiat group, BMW used it on the E46 M3 and Aston Martin too.

 

I had one of these gearboxes on an Alfa Romeo 147. It was the same gearbox as the manual car and the same clutch, except the gearbox housing was a little different to accommodate the hydraulics actuators. Weirdly in operation it felt a lot like a manual, you could feel the clutch bite, even though I had no pedal, and the gear changes were crisp like a manual. It was also the most unreliable bit of the car, and being an Alfa Romeo it was up against some stiff competition for that title.