[Soterios]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

The first thing that comes to my mind is that this might now be more cheaper to make. The cost of materials is becoming more and more important as the cost of technology is decreasing. This system uses probably less material (no piping, no big brake booster, no slave cylinder etc; just a pedalsensor, an electronic actuator and a control circuit)

This is probably the reality. It's easier and cheaper to make and gives them more control over what the car can and can't do.

It also pushes costs onto the consumer. Pedal/Cable/Throttle Bodies from fifty years ago still work.

A friend who owns a shop has told me horror stories of (for some reason a lot of Nissans) pretty 'new' cars needing electronic throttle bodies that cost a coup hundred a piece.

I'm always of two minds with this stuff. Some tech is cool and really improves the driving experience or opens up that experience to more people. Other stuff just feels like we're trying to reinvent the wheel just to say we did.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

The first thing that comes to my mind is that this might now be more cheaper to make. The cost of materials is becoming more and more important as the cost of technology is decreasing. This system uses probably less material (no piping, no big brake booster, no slave cylinder etc; just a pedalsensor, an electronic actuator and a control circuit)

Also may be lighter than a DCT or slushbox.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Also may be lighter than a DCT or slushbox.

A manual gearbox is virtually always lighter than a DCT or slushbox.
Usually by 30kg or so, so quite a lot.

I think for this patent the weight savings are minimal. The clutch cylinder is less than a pound. But then again porsche uses sticker badges saving an ounce or so.

But I wonder what happens when this system fails. With drive by wire, the engine goes into limp mode so you at least have some moblilty.

[Wires]

That is an interesting point. Lose the ability to control the clutch and you basically have a slick "wagon" you get to push around and your stranded.

[Darth One]

This sounds like it's taking the dct paddle and putting it under your left foot, yeah?

[Humdizzle]

Just something to think about...


if they make the actual shifter computer controlled as well "shift by wire" then you could really have a 3 pedal car one second, and then push a button and the car becomes an automatic. Turn on the autopilot, set a destination, and take a nap.

kind of rubs me the wrong way. not sure i would be interested in a car like that. even though im sure they could engineer the manual to feel like the real thing

[GuidoK]

^sure, but the shifting will be like a robotized manual, like smg and the many examples.
And those drivetrains arent known for their perfection.
It would be funny to see though, seeing the gearlever move by itself.

[Humdizzle]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

^sure, but the shifting will be like a robotized manual, like smg and the many examples.
And those drivetrains arent known for their perfection.
It would be funny to see though, seeing the gearlever move by itself.

no, the car would have a DCT transmission. The shifter would have no physical link to the transmission like the clutch in the article. Just leave it in the neutral position and the computer takes over shifting the gears 1 through 6. you would only have a wire sending information between the shifter, ecu, and transmission.

based on how you shift and modulate the clutch the dct transmission can make the shift jerky or smooth.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

This is not something new. There are so many patents regarding clutch by wire systems.
Patents regarding the control systems, regarding the actuation etc etc
Regarding the actuation you can use a complete electrical system, but also an electro-hydraulic system etc.
This is just a version how GM is going to do it. Thats why this is such a detailed patent of the whole system. Most patents are much more obscure and divided up in multiple patents so that for a possiby copycat its not quite clear what is and what isnt patented.
Lots of tech that is highlighted in the GM patent is free/unpatented. How the clutch gets actuated, GM describes multiple processes, but that doenst mean others cant use that, as those mechanical acutators (like a ballscrew, wormscrew wheel etc what gm all describes) doenst fall under anyones intellectual property.

Road and track present it as something revolutionairy new, but thats probably because they havent heard of it or think writing it this way sells better.
The Jalopnik piece it references too is written much better.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that this might now be more cheaper to make. The cost of materials is becoming more and more important as the cost of technology is decreasing. This system uses probably less material (no piping, no big brake booster, no slave cylinder etc; just a pedalsensor, an electronic actuator and a control circuit)

I just can't see how this system is less costly to produce, less complex, and more reliable than a hydraulic system. Master and slave cylinders are dirt cheap and a few feet of hydraulic line is peanuts. You have to engineer to add some feedback mechanism to give the clutch pedal some sense of resistance and the gear lever has to be sensorized to work in conjunction with the clutch.