An EV with a fake manual transmission? It’s real! But… why?

China car brand Chery actually invented an electric vehicle (EV) that behaves like a manual car with shift points and it even stalls. It also adds a tachometer, clutch pedal, and a five-speed shifter. But why on earth did Chery invent an EV like this?

The EV in question is known as a Chery New Energy eQ2 Driving School Version. Yes, the EV is invented to eliminate emissions from driving school vehicles.

Even in Malaysia, a country with a population number that barely scratches the surface of China’s, we tend to do a lot of idling around while others take their turn at the various driving equipment.

The fully-electric Chery New Energy eQ2 will solve the issue of idling, burning fuel, and exhaust fumes needlessly due to its zero emission nature. 

But why does China insist on a manual transmission? That’s because, although China has made an aggressive shift towards EVs, the country is still dominated by manual transmissions and run on internal combustion engine cars.

So, the government insisted that manual transmissions still be mandatory in driving schools in case there is ever a need to drive a manual car. Hence the idea of an EV with a fake manual transmission was born. 

The eQ2 is based on a Cowin C3, a conventional naturally aspirated small sedan sold only in China. The eQ2 dispenses only 58 PS and enough range for 400 km. Nowhere close to a Tesla.