--- title: "Ford Document Reveals Fake Manual Shifter for EVs With Haptic Feedback" date: "2025-03-24" modified: "2025-03-24" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-considering-a-fake-manual-for-evs-with-haptic-shift-feedback" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Electric Vehicles" - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "Ford" - "sports car" --- # Ford Document Reveals Fake Manual Shifter for EVs With Haptic Feedback ![Illustration of Ford Mustang interior with shifter highlighted next to image of first page of patent application.]() *\Ford, USPTO, The Drive\* If the experience of driving an electric vehicle simply isn't engaging enough for you, several automakers are working to address that problem—including [Ford](). That's what we've learned this week, as a patent application dating back to 2023 from the Blue Oval was recently published. The document describes a gear lever that would [simulate the function of a manual transmission]() in an EV that doesn't have one. The disclosure, titled "Shifter Assembly for Electric Vehicle," pretty much pertains to the part of this system that the driver would interact with—as in, the stick and the physical mechanisms that control it—and less so the deeper software back-end that links the stick's behavior to the powertrain's current state. Diagrams contained in the document distinguish a six-speed, H-pattern shifter path from a sequential, up/down track, though Ford's implementation could allow both by, say, restricting movement along the third-to-fourth-gear axis. The patent notably mentions a "virtual pathway," insinuating that the mechanism here wouldn't be restricted to a predetermined route physically established from the factory. The system of actuators that allow the stick to move could be electronically arranged to replicate any style of H-pattern, whether that be a four- or seven-speed. (If the latter entices you, for some reason. Couldn't be me—too busy.) [US20250092947A1]() The application also highlights the potential use of haptics, possibly to recreate the feeling of a rod shifter versus a smoother cable mechanism. You can do a lot with haptics—I'm still amazed how my MacBook's touchpad doesn't actually depress on clicks but *feels* like it does, through cleverly applied motors. It's not hard to imagine a simulated stick in a future electric [Mustang]() that lets you select the number of gears, the position of reverse, the degree of force required to move the lever and engage a "gear," and the amount of buzziness, all through a menu of sliders in the car's infotainment screen. That future might sound sacrilegious to some, but when the day arrives that internal combustion engines well and truly disappear, I'd rather have the choice than not; it's not hurting anyone. Plus, we dinosaurs will be able to regale the youth on how we used to do this the old-fashioned way, and if you made the mistake of, say, downshifting to first instead of third, you got a *little* more than a gentle reminder to select a higher gear. As is always the case with patents filed by car manufacturers, there is no guarantee that the simulated shifter mechanism proposed will make it to a Ford EV one day. That said, it'd be fair to expect Ford to bring some kind of tactile fake manual to its cars, whether that takes a shape more similar to what Hyundai's chosen to do with the Ioniq 5 N and its paddles or something even more old-school like we see here. Before that happens, though, we'd probably have to [see a fully electric Mustang sports car first](). *Got a tip? Send it in: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()