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

Honda isn’t quite ready to give up on stick shifts for good, but the company is realistic about how the dawning EV era likely spells the end of the manual transmission as we know it. During a roundtable interview with Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe and head of electrification Shinji Aoyama, both executives expressed doubt to C/D that Honda would pursue any sort of simulated or artificial manual transmissions for its upcoming EVs, not even for the electric sports cars that are already confirmed to be part of its future lineup.

“Artificially, we can do it. Mechanically, it is not easy,” said Aoyama, referring to the idea of a simulated manual as “like an extension of active sound control.” He personally does not like the idea of an artificial solution like this, and said that Honda would pursue other ways of making its EVs fun to drive. Both executives said they see battery technology, as well as the packaging, programming, and overall engineering of electric motors and direct-drive units as important differentiating factors for electric vehicles and how they feel on the road. Mibe said that it’s important for Honda’s EVs to be “edgy” and distinct from competitors in terms of the driving experience, but added, “I’m not sure if we can replace the manual transmission.”

Honda

This stance is in direct contrast with Toyota’s outlook, as Honda’s chief rival is seemingly embracing the idea of a manual-transmission alternative. It recently patented a system for EVs that includes a clutch, a gear shifter, and “virtual” gear ratios, and Lexus president Koji Sato also expressed a desire for the brand’s upcoming EV supercar to have some sort of simulated manual. Even prior to this, Toyota’s GR HV Sports concept car from 2017 also incorporated a sort of simulated manual: its hybrid powertrain used an automatic gearbox but featured a shift lever meant to mimic a six-speed manual transmission’s H-pattern gate.

Even if Honda doesn’t plan to adopt similar solutions, fans of the clutch pedal need not panic that Honda’s transition to an all-EV lineup will wipe out the stick-shifts overnight. The company plans to phase in electric vehicles—including hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles—in stages. It aims for EVs to make up 40 percent of sales by 2030, 80 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2040. In the meantime, a few different manual-transmission vehicles remain in Honda and Acura’s U.S. lineups. Multiple versions of the Civic—the base hatchback, the Civic Si, and the Civic Type R—plus the Acura Integra offer six-speed manuals, and these don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Honda

As EVs do eventually take over at Honda, the company assures us that there will continue to be vehicles with enthusiast appeal. Honda has promised two electric sports cars, one described as a “flagship” and the other as a “specialty” model. Teaser images show that both have low-slung proportions, and the flagship model would likely serve as the Acura NSX’s replacement. We look forward to seeing how Honda can win us over with this new generation of performance vehicles—even if they won’t have manual transmissions or any approximation of one.

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