Hyundai might have added fake shifting to its EVs, but Porsche won’t. Porsche says the “electric engine is far better than” ICE, and simulated shifting makes an EV feel “worse.” The automaker feels that there’s no point in simulating a combustion engine when it still produces them.
If you were hoping that your next electric Porsche might have simulated shifting like in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, I’ve got some rather unfortunate news for you. Following Hyundai’s addition of fake shifting, Porsche apparently explored adding the technology to its vehicles but ultimately decided that the feature was a gimmick that made the EV feel “worse” than not having it at all.
“We drove the Hyundai [Ioniq 5] N and looked at it, and, undoubtedly, there are always people who think that’s a great idea,” said Porsche development driver Lars Kern in an interview with the Australian media outlet Drive. He later continued: “We came to the conclusion that is not what we are searching for.”
Hyundai added its N e-Shift feature to the Ioniq 5 N earlier this year. The idea is to replicate the sensation that the driver would get from an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, something that the Ioniq 5 doesn’t have since a single-speed electric drive unit has replaced the traditional combustion powertrain entirely. Sure, it seems silly, but as InsideEV’s Mack Hogan explains: it’ll win you over.
2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Basically, it replicates the noises and feel of a combustion engine—something that many enthusiasts inherently understand—by using the vehicle’s speakers and regenerative braking.
Now, sure, in an EV, you don’t need to know where the redline is to shift, or what type of power response to expect when mashing the gas at a specific rev range in a certain gear. But you quickly learn how to corral the EV with the excitement of those senses, and that can help to better gauge turn-ins and overall driving input.
Fun factor aside, Porsche just didn’t seem to agree. “Clearly, we look at what the competition does, but our viewpoint on this is always: why should we make something worse?” Kern said. “I mean, because, in terms of how it translates power or how power is applied? The electric engine is far better than an ICE, so we figured there’s no point in imitating what has been in the past.”
He continued, “I don’t see the point of using it to make it seem like a combustion engine because it’s not […] We don’t want to fake the combustion engine because we still produce combustion engines, so we don’t see the point of doing it.”
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This isn’t the first time that Porsche has rejected a trend. The automaker also recently stated that it wouldn’t put tablet-sized displays on the dashboards of its EVs, something that many automakers are doing today. However, that’s not to say that it won’t consider it in the future—just like simulated shifting.
Maybe when Porsche produces its very last combustion engine, it may find itself looking for ways to reconnect with the feeling of driving a car powered by gas and a traditional gearbox. But there’s something about the smooth, snappy acceleration of an EV that is, admittedly, absent in combustion vehicles.
Maybe Kern is right. Or, perhaps, Porsche should let its customers decide.