Toyota's Stealthy EV Move: Scotty Kilmer Says Harley Hack Can Electrify The Industry

Remember the blaring headlines, the analyst frenzy, the "EV Revolution Now!" chants? Yeah, good times. But amidst the electric car hype, a few months ago Toyota dropped a bombshell, and nobody even flinched. What gives?

Toyota is bringing back manual transmissions. In electric cars. Whoa, rewind.

Scotty Kilmer, the wrench-wielding YouTube sage, just went ballistic over this news. His take? Genius. Not just for driving thrills, but for efficiency, too. Remember Harley-Davidson? Those burly bikes with the click-clack symphony of gears? Turns out, those transmissions helped them squeeze extra juice out of their engines. Scotty reckons the same logic applies to EVs. By letting drivers control the powerband, you might just unlock hidden efficiency gains, especially at highway speeds.

But here's the rub. Other carmakers are acting like Toyota's handing out participation trophies at a spelling bee. Why the lackluster applause? Cost, my friends. Transmissions ain't cheap or light. Plus, the industry's still hung up on chasing the "cheapest EV in town" trophy, even if it means sacrificing driving fun and efficiency.

So, let's get real, gearheads. Is Toyota onto something here? Or is this a nostalgic pipe dream destined to rust in the EV scrapyard?

Fire up the debate in the comments! Let's dissect this greasy wrench of an idea:

• Can manual transmissions actually boost EV efficiency, Harley-style? Or is Scotty just revving our nostalgia engines?
• Cost and weight are the buzzkills. Can clever engineering overcome these hurdles?
• Is the industry too busy chasing buzzwords to embrace a driver-focused innovation like this?
• Will manual EVs attract a whole new wave of car lovers, revving up the market?

Hit the gas pedal on your thoughts, folks. Let's shift this conversation into high gear!

Remember, the future of EVs isn't just about batteries and charging times. It's about the joy of the open road, the feel of the machine beneath your fingertips. And maybe, just maybe, a little click-clack symphony to soundtrack the ride.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has more than a decade of expertise in the automotive industry with a special interest in Tesla and electric vehicles.