Porsche Rules Out “Fake” Gear Shifters for EVs

Porsche development driver Lars Kern has revealed that the company considered adding simulated gear shifts to its EVs—but quickly dismissed the idea. Porsche believes the concept would take away from the authentic electric driving experience.

For car enthusiasts around the world, few experiences match the feel and excitement of shifting gears in a manual-transmission car. But as automatic transmissions have become more common, shifting gears has gone from a mechanical necessity to a enthusiast’s luxury. EVs take things a step further: thanks to electric motors’ instant power delivery, they eliminate the need for a gearbox altogether.

Hyundai Adds a Simulated Gear Shifter to Its EV

Against this backdrop, Hyundai’s recently launched IONIQ 5 N sports hatchback features a simulated gear shifter called “N Power Shift.” Hyundai considers the sensation of shifting gears an important part of driving enjoyment.

The “fake” shifter essentially controls power and torque to make the driver feel as though the car has mechanical gears. However, using the simulated shifts makes the IONIQ 5 N slightly slower.

What Porsche’s Development Driver Thinks

In an interview with Drive magazine, Porsche development driver Lars Kern said Porsche had also considered fitting its EVs with simulated shifters, but ultimately abandoned the idea, deciding it was “counterintuitive.”

Kern reportedly put it this way:

“We considered it, too … but we don’t understand the point of making it feel like an internal-combustion engine. Because it isn’t one. So we’re not doing it. We drove the Hyundai N and considered it,” Kern continued. “Clearly, some people think it’s a good idea, and others think it’s a bad idea.”

Porsche’s Approach to EVs

Porsche appears to believe that the instant torque and linear power delivery of an EV should be celebrated for what they are, rather than altered to imitate the character of an internal-combustion car. Kern reportedly went a step further, saying he believes simulated gear shifters would detract from the authentic electric driving experience.

It’s a persuasive argument, given that EVs have their own advantages and deliver a distinctive driving experience that many people love—and may even prefer to the excitement of rapidly shifting through the gears of an internal-combustion car.

Porsche’s position can be seen as part of a strategy to emphasize the inherent appeal of electric cars and distinguish them from traditional combustion-powered models. By focusing on creating a new driving experience that makes the most of EV characteristics, Porsche may be seeking to preserve its distinct identity and competitiveness in the age of electrification.

It will be interesting to see how other automakers approach EVs in the years ahead. Porsche’s decision to pursue what makes EVs appealing in their own right may earn the support of many Porsche drivers and automotive enthusiasts.

As someone who currently drives a Porsche EV, I love that an EV feels like an EV—the immense, seamless acceleration is fantastic. And there’s no need to add simulated shifts to an electric Porsche when Porsche’s combustion-engine cars already have the lightning-fast PDK, a transmission the world can be proud of.