The premium Japanese automaker wants to “build engagement and excitement” with the new Interactive Manual Drive, which is a so-called ‘fake-shift’ system, emulating a “manual gear-shifting experience in a battery electric vehicle.”

    

Many folks believe that, despite their potentially crazy acceleration and deceleration levels, electric vehicles lack tremendously in the engagement department. As such, various automakers have come up with the option to simulate manual transmission gear shifts in electric vehicles. The idea isn’t new – some CVT manufacturers also create ‘fake’ gears to make people less disengaged with their vehicle.