Porsche Says Hyundai 'Did A Really Good Job' With Fake EV Shifting

Rivals Taking Notice

Hyundai’s fake gear shifts – now in the Ioniq 5 N, 6 N, and the posher Genesis GV60 Magma – have landed better than most expected. The system, which recreates the feeling of shifting gears, with artificial rev limits, brief power pauses, and paddle-controlled upshifts, sounds gimmicky on paper. But after getting a taste of it, the tech actually makes fast EVs more fun and engaging.

As expected, other brands are taking notes. BMW says its next electric M3 will get its own version of simulated shifting. Ferrari is going a different way with the Luce EV. They won’t call it a simulated gearbox, but the idea is similar: drivers use paddles to tweak regen and torque, adding layers to the drive instead of the usual single-speed EV feel.

Now Porsche is the latest to tip its hat to Hyundai’s approach.

Expect a Porsche-Typical Solution

Speaking to Australia’s Carsales, Porsche product spokesperson Ben Weinberger admitted the company has already looked closely at Hyundai’s technology and came away impressed. “We’ll see what happens, but it is not a technology that we do not look at. It’s very interesting. To be honest, Hyundai did a really good job at it,” he said.

That doesn’t mean Porsche is ready to commit. Weinberger says there’s no final decision yet on whether Porsche will bring something like this to its own EVs. If they do, expect it to feel like a proper Porsche solution, not just a copy of what’s already out there.

“If we do it, it will definitely be a Porsche-typical solution, but it would be too early to talk,” Weinberger added. If it happens, it will likely be available in the upcoming, albeit much delayed, electric Porsche 718.

Exploring New Ways To Keep EVs Engaging

Porsche has already shown it wants to keep drivers involved, even as cars get more digital. The brand patented a stick-shift concept for shift-by-wire transmissions, hinting they’re looking for ways to bring back some of that manual feel, even without a real gearbox.

Hyundai seems to be thinking along the same lines, but from a different angle. Patent filings show they’re looking into how a real stick-shift could work in an EV, building on the buzz around their simulated gear changes. A few years ago, that would have sounded odd. Now, with BMW, Ferrari, Hyundai, and Porsche all chasing a more mechanical EV feel, fake shifting is starting to look like a trend worth paying attention to.

View the full article