Porsche rejects 'fake' gear shifters for future EVs, considers the concept a 'bad idea'
For driving enthusiasts around the world, there is little that can replicate the sensation and thrill of shifting through gears on an ICE vehicle with a manual gearbox. However, with the advent and widespread adoption of automatic gearboxes, this mechanical necessity of earlier has now been reduced to a luxury reserved for enthusiasts. Electric Vehicles (EVs) take this a step further, ditching the requirement of a gearbox altogether thanks to the instant power delivery of electric motors.
That being said, Hyundai's recently launched Ioniq 5 N sports hatch deemed the sensation of shifting gears an integral component of the joy of driving, and decided to fit the vehicle with a simulated gear shifter - a 'fake' shifter. Essentially, the 'simulated' gears control the amount of power and torque, giving the sensation of the existence of mechanical gears to the driver, although the Ioniq 5 N is actually slightly slower when the fake shifting is utilised.
Speaking with Drive magazine, Porsche's development driver Lars Kern stated that Porsche had also considered the idea of having fake shifters in their electric offerings, but ultimately abandoned the idea, deeming it 'counter-intuitive'. In a conversation with Drive, Lars mentioned:
“We looked at it, but … I don't see the point of using it to make it feel like a combustion engine because it's not, so we don't.
“We drove the Hyundai N and had a look at it" Lars continued, "and, obviously, there's always people who think that's a good idea and there's always people I think it's a bad idea,”
Clearly, Porsche seems to believe that electric cars' instant torque and linear power delivery is something that is to be celebrated in its own right, and not to be retrofitted to mimic the characteristics of ICE vehicles. Lars took a step further and stated that he believed simulated gear shifters in EVs would make the experience worse by detracting from the authentic electric experience, which can be argued in favour of considering that EVs have their own unique advantages and offer driving experiences that many adore, and likely even prefer over slamming gears in ICEs.
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