Field of technology

The invention relates to a control arrangement of an electric car. The control arrangement comprises pedals for brakes and acceleration.

Prior art

Environmentally sustainable pure electrical cars are rapidly becoming popular, in place of traditional fossil-fueled vehicles. Since an electric motor provides different power and torque delivery to a drive-train than reciprocating combustion engines, many electric cars have fixed-ratio gearboxes, or automated multi-speed gearboxes without any clutch or driver-involved gear changing process while in motion. So, driver interactions to effect gear changes, during driving, are not needed. Electric drive motors deliver relatively flat torque response up to their redline RPM (designed maximum operating speed). Whereas, fossil-fueled reciprocating combustion engines must“idle” at on the order of 500-1 ,000 RPM’s in order to propel a vehicle from a stop, and then they exhibit a specific non-linear torque delivery behavior, based upon their operating RPM range during driving. This means that many pure electric drivetrains (drivetrains based purely on electric motors) can operate flexibly over their entire range of motor rotational speeds, without the need to bracket the most favorable operating “torque band” of its operation by switching the mechanical gear ratios between the reciprocating combustion engine and the drive wheels as a function of the vehicle’s speed within these bands. So, the reciprocating combustion engine’s drivetrain demands some form of drive gear ratio switching during normal vehicle operation (whether manually activated by the driver via the familiar“Stick shifting”, or via one of the many forms of automated ratio changing of automatic or automated transmissions).

Therefore the electric cars obviate the need or the opportunity for the familiar driver experience of manual shifting. The ability of the combustion engine driver to properly match the optimal drive gear ratio selections to the complex combination of vehicle operating dynamics on the road (or track), through mastery of the manual shifting process, is a distinctive driver skill that takes years of practical driving experience to achieve. In fact, many driving enthusiasts pride themselves on attaining various levels of skill in manual shifting for high-performance driving experiences. This kind of exhilarating driving satisfaction (whether on public roads, on specialized tracks, or even in rugged off-road conditions) must be experienced first-hand to really understand and appreciate. Many millions of drivers around the world pursue this experience, at various levels, from weekend road cruises in the neighborhood to road and closed track rally competitions. The entire concept of motorsports was founded 100 years ago on this thrilling driving experience, and the skill and attentiveness demanded of the driver in order to manage this gear selection process dynamically in real-time.

The current implementations of pure electric drive systems in passenger cars lack key driver feedback elements of the traditional manually shifted driving experience. The appeal of electric vehicle ownership & driver satisfaction amongst performance driving enthusiasts is therefore fundamentally limited with current electric drive cars.

Short description The object of the invention is to alleviate or even eliminate the problems said above by introducing the emulation of the ICE (internal combustion engine) powered manual transmission driving experience to the environment of the pure electric drivetrain. The object is achieved in a way described in the independent claim. Dependent claims illustrate different embodiments of the invention. A control arrangement of an electric car according to the invention comprises an electric motor control unit, an accelerator pedal, brake pedal and clutch pedal, as well as a manual gear shift. The 3 pedals are in connection with the electric motor control unit. The arrangement further comprises a manually activated gear shift having a gear shift sensor arrangement and a first damper unit, and a clutch pedal having a clutch sensor arrangement and a second damper unit. The accelerator pedal has an accelerator sensor arrangement, and the brake pedal has a brake sensor arrangement. Both of the accelerator sensor arrangement and the brake sensor arrangement are capable of providing pedal input position, direction of movement, and velocity. The same can apply with the clutch pedal as well. So, all three pedals can be instrumented for digitization info in a similar fashion.

The arrangement further comprises a control unit that is connected with the gearshift sensor arrangement, the clutch sensor arrangement, the accelerator sensor arrangement, the brake sensor arrangement, and the electric motor control unit. The control unit has software, a processor for running the software, and a memory for keeping the software. The control unit operates in response to data from the gearshift sensor arrangement, the clutch sensor arrangement, the accelerator sensor arrangement, and the brake sensor arrangement, arranged to drive the electric motor control unit and, together with the said dampers, to emulate the driver- involved driving experience of a traditional reciprocating combustion engine and associated manual transmission drivetrain system.

List of figures

In the following, the invention is described in more detail by reference to the enclosed drawings, where

Figure 1 illustrates an example of a torque curve and a power curve of a reciprocating combustion engine,

Figure 2 illustrates an example of a torque curve and a power curve of an electric motor,

Figure 3 illustrates an example of an electric car,

Figure 4 illustrates an example of a control arrangement according to the invention,

Figure 5 illustrates an example of a gear shift embodiment, and Figure 6 illustrates an example of a dashboard instruments

Description of the invention

Figure 1 illustrates an example of a torque curve T1 and a power curve P1 of a reciprocating combustion engine. As historically established, the combustion engine must run in“idle” in the range of O - about 1000 RPM before it can connected to load in practice, otherwise the engine would stop due to insufficient torque output below this rotational speed. In this example the torque curve forms a curve having a max value near 5000 RPM. The power curve P1 rises until near 7000 RPM and then starts to decrease. The curves of Figure 1 are typical for reciprocating engines. In order to deliver sufficient torque and power output required to operate a car, a multi-speed gearbox must be used between the engine and the load, as is widely understood in automotive practice.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of a torque curve T2 and a power curve P2 of an electric motor. As can be seen the torque of the motor is useable up from zero RPM. The torque output curve remains nearly constant in value up to the nominal speed rating of the motor, after which the torque value starts to decrease as shown in Figure 2. The power curve P2 from zero RPM to the nominal speed of the motor, after which it remains at relatively the same level to maximum rated RPM.

In order for the driving experience of an electric car to accurately emulate the driving experience of a similar car having an internal combustion engine (ICE) and manual transmission, the control systems of the electric car must be modified to introduce the driver-involved physical controls of the ICE car (i.e. the Clutch Pedal, the Gearshift, and the Tachometer, etc.) and for the control software of the electric car to be modified/added to become capable of reproducing the driving feel of these controls by managing the resulting behaviour of the electric car to create the impression of the power and torque delivery of the original ICE via the original manual transmission as the driver interacts with the familiar ICE and manual transmission controls. This can comprise the emulation of Upshifting, Downshifting, Reversing, and even Emergency Braking modes.

The invention makes it also possible to allow for the driver to choose whether to operate in "Manual Transmission Emulation Mode", or "Automatic Transmission Emulation Mode" when they desire, in other words emulating manual transmission or automatic transmission. The driver can indicate this choice to the VCU (vehicle control unit) by means of manual controls (switches, and/or a smart-key and/or fob read wirelessly by the car, etc.) installed in the car, and/or via a software application on a mobile device, which can subsequently communicate the driver's choice to the vehicle VCU via web-based wireless networking). Further, original analog instruments like tachometer 1 A, speedometer 1 B, etc. on the dashboard 1 C of a car can be constructed/modified in order to utilize digital info as a part of the emulation. Figure 6 shows an example of a dashboard instruments 1 A, 1 B, 1 D, 1 E used in the inventive car. In this embodiment the dashboard comprises a speedometer/Odometer 1 B, a tachometer 1A, as well as a fuel level gauge 1 D, which gauge is now used digitally to indicate State-of-Charge of the battery system, and a dual temperature/pressure gauge 1 E. All of these original types of analog or electrical instruments can be managed digitally from the VCU for purposes of maintaining the original look and feel of the dashboard, as well as enhancing the realism of the manual shift emulation process. The Tachometer is particularly useful for this kind of emulation because it will give a clear visual indication to the driver when they should Up-Shift or Down-Shift during manual shifting emulation (as controlled by the logic in the software of the VCU). The dashboard and its instruments can also be provided in other ways than showed in figure 6.

Figure 3 illustrates an example of an electric car 1 . It has an electric motor 2 and a battery system 5. The energy of the battery system is transmitted into the electric motor under control of an electric motor control unit 4. The control unit has also a connection with control devices 3 of the car, like pedals. As response for the control devices 3, the electric motor control unit 4 controls the motor, which in connected to the drivetrain 7 in order to rotate wheels to be driven. The car 1 of Figure 1 is a rear-wheel drive. Flowever, the electric drive-train can also be configured for front wheel drive, or four-wheel drive. By using the brake pedal of the car, the driver can reduce the speed of the car. As is common with electric cars, the electric drive motor 2 can be controlled in response to brake pedal inputs in order to regenerate energy into the battery system 5. In addition to regenerative braking from the drive motor 2 itself, especially when braking forcefully, the mechanical brakes 6 are also applied in order to decelerate the vehicle mechanically. The balance of regenerative and conventional mechanical braking is a part of the invention. The software algorithms controlling regenerative braking are optimized to reproduce the feeling of traditional ICE“Engine Braking” upon lifting off of the accelerator pedal, in close emulation of the original effect of the compression of the ICE during traditional braking (e.g. downhill engine braking and/or engine braking before negotiating turns in ICE and manua transmission performance driving).

Figure 4 illustrates an example of a control arrangement according to the invention which can be implemented in the electric car 3. The control arrangement of an electric car according to the invention, comprises an electric motor control unit 4, an accelerator pedal 10 and the brake pedal 1 1 . The pedals are in connection with the electric motor control unit. With the electric cars the connection is an electrical connection. The arrangement further comprises a gear shift 8 having a gear shift sensor arrangement 20 and a first damper unit 21 , and a clutch pedal 9 having a clutch sensor arrangement 16 and a second damper unit 12. The sensors provide information of the pedal positions, directions of movement and velocity of travel, which indicate driving control signals from a driver. Since the electric car may not have any mechanical gearbox, the tactile response and driver-feeling of the clutch pedal and the gear shift must be controlled in order to properly emulate those of an original ICE and manual transmission equipped car. Therefore, the dampers, which may include passive devices, and/or active devices, are employed to emulate the tactile response and driver-feeling of the corresponding pedals for an ICE and manual transmission equipped car. Said dampers can comprise mechanical parts, a hydraulic device and/or a resilient device and may be passive or active in nature Similarly, the accelerator pedal has an accelerator sensor arrangement 17, and the brake pedal has a brake sensor arrangement 18, both of which may be capable of providing pedal input position, direction of movement, and velocity. The arrangement further comprising a control unit 19 that is connected with the gear shift sensor arrangement 20, the clutch sensor arrangement 16, the accelerator sensor arrangement 17, the brake sensor arrangement, 18 and the electric motor control unit 4. The control unit has software 22, a processor 23 for running the software, and a memory 24 for keeping the software. The control unit 19 responds to data from the gear shift sensor arrangement, the clutch sensor arrangement, the accelerator sensor arrangement, and the brake sensor arrangement, arranged to drive the electric motor control unit 4 and, together with the said dampers 12, 21 , to provide the driving feel emulation of an ICE and manual transmission drive-train, as observed from the drivers perspective. So, the inventive arrangement emulates a virtual ICE with manual transmission using the driver-activated controls described in order to provide the driving feel of an original ICE with manual transmission. Since this virtual ICE and manual transmission system emulates the real ICE and manual transmission drive-train from the driving feel perspective, it can be said alternatively that the electric motor control unit 4 together with the said driver controls (pedals, dampers 12, 21 , and gear shift lever) provide the drive-train responses of an original ICE and manual transmisson. Although the connections between the sensors 16, 17, 18, 20 and the control unit 19 and between the control unit 19 and the electric motor control unit 4 are illustrated separately, as separate wires, it is also possible to utilize a single communication bus like a CAN bus arrangement in order to provide said connections. The software can comprise a number of software modules 25, each module being arranged to provide a module specific driving response in emulation of an original ICE and manual transmission / thus acting as a virtual ICE and manual transmission drivetrain. The modules are discussed further below, including the possibilities for a track mode, or a rally mode under the driver’s control. It is also possible that the control unit 19 is integrated with the electric motor control unit 4. In addition, the accelerator pedal 10 may have a third damper unit 13 and the brake pedal 1 1 may have a fourth damper unit 14 in order to provide a more accurate feeling of the pedals of the combustion engine car. Said dampers can comprise an electro-mechanical device, a hydraulic device and/or a resilient device in order to perform a desired mechanical feel of the pedals of the original ICE and manual transmission car.

The invention can be used with an electric car drivetrain without any changeable mechanical gears, or with an electric car drivetrain incorporating a traditional manual transmission system. The parts of the invention are described further below.

Accelerator Pedal

The accelerator pedal is the control device which manages the throttle Position of the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and therefore governs the rotational speed, and therefore power output, of the ICE. This pedal is operated by the drivers Right Foot and is located on the right of the 3-pedal configuration. Foot pressure on the pedal increases ICE Throttle, and therefore proportionally raises or lowers the RPM’s of the ICE. At Idle (such as when the driver wants the vehicle to remain at rest), the Driver does not need to exert any pressure on the Accelerator Pedal. The ICE is designed to idle indefinitely at a suitable throttle position to maintain itself in operation without any driver inputs to the Accelerator Pedal in this mode.

In this Invention, the Accelerator Pedal can be retained and re-engineered to provide the driver with a simulation of the ICE Throttle Response experience of the original ICE car. This will be accomplished by configuring suitable electro- mechanical means connected to the Accelerator Pedal, such as actuators and sensors, as well as the potential for audio feedback at similar frequency ranges to the original ICE’s response to Accelerator Pedal inputs, to reproduce the driver’s ability to match ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) RPM’s to the desired gear selection being made during the manual shifting process to effect a“smooth shift” up or down the transmission’s available shift pattern (whether it is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or even 7“speed” transmission).

Clutch Pedal

The clutch pedal is the control device which manages the mechanical connection between the rotating ICE Power Output Shaft and the Power Input Shaft of the Manual Transmission. This is a friction-based connection and the Clutch is the rotating‘connector’ which is released by exerting positive pressure on the clutch pedal. Conversely, the Clutch can be engaged between the ICE and the transmission by the driver’s removing pressure from the Clutch Pedal. The Clutch remains fully engaged with the ICE and Transmission (like a solid connection) whenever the Driver removes their foot from the Clutch Pedal entirely.

The Clutch is not a binary On/Off type control. There is a wide range of engagement of the Clutch and a mechanical“slippage” that occurs between the Clutch and the ICE. This elasticity of engagement is used intentionally by the experienced Driver to smoothly match ICE RPM’s with the transmission’s input shaft speed at the moment of Clutch engagement. This is a key part of the art in effective shifting and must become ever more precise in competitive situations. In fact, professional drivers have developed techniques such as“Double Clutching” and “Heel and Toeing” to optimize this mechanical speed matching for best effect and least mechanical shock through the drivetrain as well. The skill of the manual transmission driver/operator therefore revolves around their ability to smoothly and instinctively select the correct gear to shift from/to while simultaneously managing all 3 pedals, and the manual shift mechanism, all while also maintaining control of the steering and vehicle’s dynamic responses to said driver’s actions. This is a complex choreography that demands skill and focus, and also gives the accomplished driver a great deal of physical and mental satisfaction when they achieve true mastery of the complexities of the process. As said in most electric cars there is no Clutch Pedal at all (because there is no Driver selectable gearing nor and Driver-separable mechanical connection between the Drive Motor and a Manual Transmission. Therefore, EV’s (Electric Vehicles) are inherently 2 pedal vehicles. In the invention the clutch pedal will be retained and re-engineered to provide the driver with a simulation of the traditional clutch response experience of the original ICE car. This will be accomplished by configuring suitable electro- mechanical means connected to the Clutch Pedal, such as actuators and sensors, to reproduce the driver’s control over the degree of Virtual Clutch engagement to provide the physical ability to match ICE RPM’s to the desired gear selection being made during the manual shifting process to effect a“smooth shift” up or down the transmission’s available shift pattern (whether it is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or even 7“speed” transmission). These controls will also provide for Simulated / Virtual Engine Braking controlled by a combination of Accelerator Pedal, Clutch and Manual Gear Selection, all initiated and controlled by the Driver mechanically.

Brake Pedal

The brake pedal is the control device which manages the application of the Friction Brakes to slow or stop the vehicle at the press of the pedal. In this Invention, in addition to controlling the mechanical braking system normally, we will also enhance the Brake Pedal functionality by electro-mechanical ly combining it with a variable level of energy Regenerative Braking from the EV Control System. This effect will be detailed later in this application. This will be accomplished by configuring suitable electro-mechanical means connected to the Brake Pedal, such as actuators and sensors, to reproduce the driver’s control over the degree of a controlled combination of traditional brake system engagement with software controlled Regenerative Braking to optimize the Driver Experience. The driver's hand-operated controls and related electro-mechanics

The primary Driver-Operated Hand Control of this Invention is the Manual Shifting Mechanism. In the traditional ICE vehicle equipped with a Manual Transmission, this is most often a floor-mounted“Stick Shifter or Gear shift” that is used as a lever to move the attached mechanisms within the Transmission to engage and disengage each of the“Gears” (gear ratio selections) available. There can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or even 7 choices of“Gears” (excluding Neutral and Reverse, which will be discussed later) for the Driver to select from dynamically while driving forward or stopping. The art of choosing the optimal gears and controlling the timing of initiating and executing the corresponding“Shifts” (changes from one Gear to another) is a direct reflection of Driver skill and experience and will have a major positive or negative impact in the driving performance achieved. Typical EV’s, have no“Shift Mechanisms” at all because there is no shifting required or possible. Instead, they simply have switches (or small levers that act only as switches) to indicated Forward, Neutral/Park, or Reverse.

In this invention, the Shifter will be retained and re-engineered to provide the driver with a simulation of the Manual Shifting experience of the original ICE car. This will be accomplished by configuring suitable electro-mechanical means connected to the Shifter, such as actuators and sensors, to reproduce the driver’s ability to‘feel’ and match the desired gear selection being made during the manual shifting process with the Accelerator & Brake to effect a“smooth shift” up or down through the Virtual Transmission’s available shift pattern (whether it is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or even 7“speed” transmission) in a realistic simulation of the original ICE drivetrain.

Figure 5 shows an example of a gear shift embodiment 51 , which can be used in the invention. The embodiment simulates a mechanical gear shift. It gives to a driver a very accurate feeling of a mechanical gear shift. It has a support body 52 wherein and whereto a gear stick 53 and levers 53A and 53B are installed. The gear stick is connected to the lever 53A through a joint 54, and the lever 53A to 53B through another joint 55. When the stick 53 is manually moved the levers 53A and 53B move as well. A selection pin 56 is connected to the lever 53B, and it is top 56A is against a sensor structure 57. The sensor structure has sensors in order to monitor the place of the top of the selection pin, which can be moved manually by using the gear stick 53. The mechanical structure of the sensor structure participates also to mechanical feeling of the shift. So, the levers and joints of the embodiment of figure 5 provide said damper of the gear shift. So, figure 5 shows one example how the gear shift can be made, but it is not the only way. The gear shift can be realized in other ways as well.

There can be other valid embodiment's which add sensors, motors, actuators, or other feedback devices to enhance the realism of the tactile / haptic feedback given to the driver during operation. Also, it should be noted that the shift mechanism shown can be configured to reproduce the original shifting patterns of nearly any type of manual transmission (3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 speed transmissions, and also the various sorts of Reverse Gear lock-outs and controls used in manual transmissions, such as a lift or push-down motion to be able to select R. Finally, it should be noted that the Neutral position will also 'feel' like the original Neutral, meaning there is the appropriate 'slack' or 'side play' feeling in the stick while it is in the N position, so the driver can readily tell, by feel feedback, if they are actually in N vs. any other manual gear selection.

The same mechanism can support the "Automatic Mode" by allowing the driver to indicate R, N or Forward motion selections to the car, without need to use the clutch or 'go through the gear pattern' manually (similar to the difference between an Automatic Transmission selector stick compared to a manual gear shift in the same car).

The Instrument Panel Emphasis on the Tachometer accurately recalibrated to show the“Net Effective RPM” of the Virtual ICE (within its original Redline/ Rev Limits, etc.) rather than simply mimicking the actual rotational speed of the Electric Drive Motor. The Tach can then be relied upon to provide important and informative Driver feedback regarding the Manual Shifting process, as with the original ICE drivetrain. Virtualized re-calibration of the Tachometer will also complement the original Speedometer in its relationship to Driver Feedback for effective Virtual Manual Shifting and vehicle control. The Wide Frequency ICE Audio Simulation / Reproduction System

Audio simulation is a new component in the vehicle whose purpose is to faithfully reproduce the sounds and low frequency‘feelings’ of the original ICE Drivetrain - providing the Driver and passengers with a realistic reproduction of a calibrated audio-field that adds excitement and realism to the physical driving experience, as well as providing the Driver with a reliable and velocity-correct indication of the Virtual ICE’s RPM for the propose of managing the Manual Shifting Process under all driving conditions; so the Driver can“listen for the right Revs” in order to time and execute manual up and down shifts precisely, also yielding great Driver satisfaction from the experience.

Adaptation of the 3 pedal control system

Driving a plug-in electric today is a two pedal experience (Accelerator & Brake), providing the driver with a convenient but sterile series of interactions with the vehicle, as compared with the manual shifting 3 pedal system (Accelerator, Brake & Clutch). The 2 pedal electric drive system, combined with the general lack of familiar mechanical feedback (e.g. drive-train vibration, ICE exhaust tone, etc.) traditionally associated with performance driving an ICE car (particularly a sports or performance-oriented ICE car), reduces the driving experience to something akin to driving an electric golf cart acceptable to many commuters, but very unrewarding and un-enticing for the traditional driving enthusiast, irrespective of the actual acceleration capabilities of the electric vehicle in question.

By adapting the 3 pedal control system metaphor of the manually shifted ICE sports car, via the unique embodiment of the invention herein described, it is the object of the invention to restore driver engagement with the vehicle & road, and broaden the appeal and acceptance of electric drive trains in that segment of the driving population that values these aspects of driving (and will therefore more enthusiastically adopt electric drive technology as a result). Further, the invention is also seen as an ideal method through which to encourage the wider-scale conversion of many existing ICE-based cars to modern electric propulsion (particularly sports / performance car type platforms associated with enthusiastic performance driving and affordable hobbyist collecting) without sacrificing the core appeal of driving the vehicle once it has been converted from ICE to electric drive.

Electronic & mechanical interactions of components of the invention Electro-Mechanical Gear-Shift Mechanism, consisting of a shift lever and mechanically controlled shift pattern appropriate to the vehicle (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 speed pattern + Reverse with lock-out where applicable). Multiple electro- mechanical means to sense position of said shift lever to inform the software system of the driver's interaction with this control input. Mechanical Accelerator, Brake and Virtual Clutch Pedals, equipped with suitable mechanical damping to provide the correct "Pedal Feel" feedback and range of motion to correctly emulate ICE-based controls. Electronic means to sense position of each pedal independently to inform the software of the driver's interaction with these control inputs. Velocity sensing of these inputs is a further embodiment of the invention.

Programmable Digital Electronic Control System to combine the multiple inputs from the electro-mechanical controls described above with the various electric drive-train and regenerative braking controls of the target vehicle. These will employ standard as well as proprietary electronic interfaces and communications protocols. This level of driver-initiated manual vehicle control provides the driver/ enthusiast with a very satisfying, entertaining and fulfilling Driving Experience that simply has no current parallel in known electrical cars. Conversely, the rapidly growing popularity of electric drivetrains driven by their environmental advantages and associated socio-political popularity, despite their significant present inability to deliver an engaging & rewarding performance driving experience to those drivers that prefer the manual gear-shifting process and driving feel.

Software

Software algorithms designed to implement the control strategies necessary to mix the driver control inputs with the vehicle's own systems & dynamic responses; including various stored configuration data, calibration, limit/safety and control parameters, as well as Software User Interface outputs and Software Diagnostics for system set-up, continuous monitoring, and maintenance support.

4.1.1 Starting from a Stop: Up-Shifting While Accelerating In this case, the vehicle is stopped and the Driver executes the following activities to put the car into forward driving motion:

4.1 .1 .1 .1 Right Foot fully depresses Brake Pedal to hold the vehicle’s position.

4.1 .1 .1 .2 Left Foot fully depresses the Clutch Pedal to disengage the Virtual ICE, while Shifting Hand (Right Hand for Left-Hand Drive Vehicles, Left Hand for Right- Drive Vehicles) grasps Shifter and moves the Gear Selector to the 1 st Gear Position.

4.1 .1 .1 .3 Right Foot is lifted from Brake and is used to begin applying enough foot pressure to the Accelerator Pedal to raise the RPM’s (as observed on the recalibrated Tach) of the Virtual ICE from“Idling” level to suitable torque output for Clutch Release and motion initiation. Simultaneously, the Audio System responds proportionally to the Accelerator inputs to give the Driver the familiar audio cues for managing the release of the clutch and the“uptake” of the drivetrain propelling the car from rest into motion.

4.1 .1 .1 .4 Steady-state forward motion (whether accelerating or stable) is then achieved by full release of the Clutch Pedal by the Left Foot, combined with an appropriate level of pressure applied by the Right Foot to the Accelerator for the desired level of forward acceleration. Further Improvements of this Embodiment can also include:

4.1 .1 .1 .5 The simulation by the VRMS of the Virtual ICE“Loading” by taking up the burden of overcoming inertia, and the Driver’s selection of A. Gear , B. Throttle

/ Virtual ICE RPM , and the Acceleration of the Vehicle Itself (as measured various, including possible Accelerometer inputs to the VRMS) and/or the modified VCU.

4.1 .1 .1 .5.1 The addition of simulation by the Modified VCU of various drive-wheel traction/slip conditions, including starting on an up or down incline, on slippery or uneven road surfaces (like snow/ice/rain), high or low ambient temperatures, exterior wind conditions, tires conditions (tread wear and/or tire inflation factors), and suspension loading (cargo, passengers, front/rear weight distribution biases, etc.).

4.1.5.1 Driving in Reverse form a Stop In this case, the vehicle is stopped and the Driver executes the following activities to put the car into reverse driving motion:

4.1 .5.1 .1 Right Foot fully depresses Brake Pedal to hold the vehicle’s position.

4.1 .5.1 .2 Left Foot fully depresses the Clutch Pedal to disengage the Virtual ICE, while Shifting Hand (Right Hand for Left-Hand Drive Vehicles, Left Hand for Right- Drive Vehicles) grasps Shifter and moves the Gear Selector to the Reverse Gear Position, which may also include the need to disengage any factory form of “Reverse Lockout” mechanism present in the original vehicle. E.g. in some manual transmissions, the driver is required to press-down the gear shift lever or lift-up a sleeve/handle concentric to the gear-shift lever in order to access the Reverse Gear Position. This configuration and the associated behavior should be governed by the original behavior of the factory manual transmission supplied with the original, vehicle.

4.1 .5.1 .3 Right Foot is lifted from Brake and is used to begin applying enough foot pressure to the Accelerator Pedal to raise the RPM’s (as observed on the recalibrated Tach ) of the Virtual ICE from“Idling” level to suitable torque output for Clutch Release and motion initiation. Simultaneously, the Audio System responds proportionally to the Accelerator inputs to give the Driver the familiar audio cues for managing the release of the clutch and the“uptake” of the drivetrain propelling the car from rest into motion. 4.1 .5.1 .4 Steady-state rearward motion (whether accelerating or stable) is then achieved by full release of the Clutch Pedal by the Left Foot, combined with an appropriate level of pressure applied by the Right Foot to the Accelerator for the desired level of forward acceleration. The Reverse Motion will be system / software limited to the available speed determined originally by the single Reverse Gear Drive Ratio and the Redline RPM of the original ICE. The Simulated recreation of original driving behavior managed by The Invention will accordingly limit the range of EV motor speed available at“Full Throttle” depression. Further Improvements of this Embodiment can also include:

4.1 .5.1 .5 The simulation by the VRMS of the Virtual ICE“Loading” by taking up the burden of overcoming inertia, and the Driver’s selection of A. Gear B. Throttle / Virtual ICE RPM and the Acceleration of the Vehicle Itself (as measured various, including possible Accelerometer inputs to the VRMS (Vehicle Response Management System) and/or the modified VCU (Vehicle Control Unit).

4.1 .5.1 .6 The addition of simulation by the Modified VCU of various drive-wheel traction/slip conditions, including starting on an up or down incline, on slippery or uneven road surfaces (like snow/ice/rain), high or low ambient temperatures, exterior wind conditions, tires conditions (tread wear and/or tire inflation factors), and suspension loading (cargo, passengers, front/rear weight distribution biases, etc.).

4.1 .5.2 Emergency Braking Under emergency braking conditions, with the traditional manual transmission, the Driver would immediately and instinctively fully depress the Clutch Pedal simultaneously with the Brake Pedal and releasing the Accelerator Pedal. In the case of The Invention, for total safety sake, whether the Driver has selected one of the Manual Modes or one of the Automatic Modes, the control software of The Invention will afford maximum vehicle barking capabilities via a controlled balance of inherent Braking System capacity (via the hydro-mechanical brakes of the rolling platform, as well as maximum available Regenerative Braking while measuring and preventing either drive wheel slippage or reverse rotation due to over application of regenerative braking for the prevailing traction conditions at the tire/road interfaces. 4.1 .5.3 Driving Under Slippery / Hazardous Road Conditions

The Invention will continuously monitor and respond to the traction response of all 4 wheels (driven or not) and apply / distribute available drive torque in balance to maximize driver control of the vehicle in response to the variations of the observed traction conditions. 4.1 .6 Driving in“Automatic Transmission Emulation” or“Standard EV” Mode The Driver has the option, when“Starting the Car” from a standing stop, to select from either multiple “Original ICE Manual Transmission Drivetrain Emulation Modes”, or alternatively, various“Automatic Transmission / EV Emulation modes”. The binary choice of“Manual Transmission Emulation” behavior vs.“Automatic/EV Transmission” behavior may be made by either a manual selector switch/control and/or a Driver-sensing digital personalization control means, including personalized“Smart Keys”, smartphone wireless controls (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WLAN, etc.). In any case, the Driver’s binary selection of which Transmission Mode is engaged cannot be changed while the vehicle is in motion for obvious safety reasons. Under Automatic Transmission / Standard EV Transmission Modes; the Clutch Pedal and the Gear Shift Mechanism are ignored entirely.

4.1 .6.1 .1 The Invention can feature Manual Transmission Emulations previously described, with Driver-selected levels of “Sportiness” or “Conservatism”, for example: 4.1 .6.1 .1 .1 Track Mode

In this mode, traction limitations will be ignored and the Driver will have maximum direct manual control of the vehicle in terms of having maximum available torque and maximum available Drive Motor RPM’s available irrespective of traction or energy conservation metrics. The control system assumption here will be that the vehicle is being operated on a closed track or other off-public roadway circumstances under which there will be no oncoming or other typical street traffic conditions with which to deal.

4.1 .6.1 .1 .2 Rally Mode

This mode differs from Track Mode only with respect to enforcement of traction and control limits, because the control system assumption here will be that the vehicle is being operated on a public roadway under competitive rally racing conditions.

4.1 .6.1 .1 .3 Commute Mode

This is the most conservative of the Manual Shifting driving modes. Under this selection, the control system will enforce vehicle-correct limitations on RPM, Torque and wheel slippage conditions, to most accurately reproduce the driving experience of the original ICE Drivetrain with the addition of wheel slippage limits enforced for safety reasons (which would otherwise be lacking in the original vehicle ICE Drivetrain configuration).

4.1 .6.1 .2 The Invention can also feature Automatic Transmission / Standard EV Drivetrain Emulations, with Driver-selected levels of“Sportiness” or“Conservatism”, for example:

4.1 .6.1 .2.1 Track Mode - Auto

This mode affords the most aggressive available acceleration and regenerative braking performance and suspends any software-imposed limits on available EV Drive Motor RPM. 4.1 .6.1 .2.2 Rally Mode - Auto

This mode echoes the same mode in Manual Shifting operation, but without the need for Driver Inputs via the Clutch Pedal. It is expected that this mode will actually provide the highest performance of the vehicle form all the other possible alternative modes of operation. Maximum EV RPM and Torque is made available continuously, irrespective of vehicle speed and there is no dependency on manual gear-shift or clutch pedal operation. This mode corresponds to the classic“Point and Shoot” drivetrain behavior of straight EV’s without traction controls or other automated driving assistance.

4.1 .6.1 .2.3 Commute Mode - Auto This mode enforces all available traction control and safety limits (EV RPM, Torque, etc.) and represents the most‘docile Automatic Transmission’ driving experience possible under control, of The Invention.

4.1 .6.1 .2.4 Range-Extender Mode - Auto

This mode is intended for use only under circumstances where fully-automatic transmission and minimal performance behavior is desired, in favor of maximizing the resulting Driving Range of the remaining Battery Charge Level of the vehicle. EV RPM, Torque and acceleration are all limited in an intentional effort by The Invention to provide the maximum Driving Range on the available remaining charge of the vehicle’s batteries / energy storage means. 4.1 .6.2 The addition of simulation by the Modified VCU of various drive-wheel traction/slip conditions, including starting on an up or down incline, on slippery or uneven road surfaces (like snow/ice/rain), high or low ambient temperatures, exterior wind conditions, tires conditions (tread wear and/or tire inflation factors), and suspension loading (cargo, passengers, front/rear weight distribution biases, etc.).

It is evident from the above that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this text but can be implemented in many other different

embodiments within the scope of the independent claims.