I drove a new electric vehicle with a feature that’s supposed to “make driving fun again”… but it’s pointless and no one will use it

A MOTORING expert drove a new electric vehicle with a feature designed to “make driving fun again” – but says it’s pointless and no one will use it.

Joel Stocksdale tested the Lexus UX 300e prototype at the automaker’s test center near the Japanese city of Nagoya.

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He was excited to try out the electric vehicle after Lexus owner Toyota announced that it had an amazing feature – “manual transmission.”

After getting behind the wheel, Joel discovered that the engine had a gear lever and a clutch pedal – but neither were actually connected to the rest of the car.

Instead, the electric vehicle’s state-of-the-art software simulates a manual gear change by operating the clutch.

Registered mail AutoblogJoel said: “It’s amazing that it basically simulates every drive feel of a manual transmission, just with clever power and throttle settings for the electric motor.”

He added that Lexus added fake engine sounds for the transmission’s “revolutions” – making it feel like a real manual setup.

However, the expert wasn’t convinced that the new feature was anything more than a fun gimmick.

Joel said: “For all the ravings I’ve done about the tricks of those wizards at Toyota, I’m still not sure what practical or marketable purpose it all has beyond its pure entertainment value.”

“Would the owners really use it often? Shouldn’t we discover the unique characteristics that make electric vehicles fun and embrace that instead of trying to force it to be something it’s not?”

This came after Tesla cut the prices of popular electric car models to boost sales.

Elon Musk’s electric car brand missed its latest market targets last week.

Elsewhere, a man says he looks down on petrol drivers because using an electric vehicle makes him feel superior in every way.

The driver, who owns a Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, gave three reasons why you should also buy an electric vehicle.