Porsche Follows Hyundai Footsteps As They Consider Simulated Speeds On Their EVs

Future electric cars from the Porsche brand could receive simulated speeds to give drivers a more intense driving experience, and it seems that inspiration came from an unexpected place – from Hyundai.

The idea of ​​Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini studying Hyundai for engineering solutions used to be laughable, but the electric Ioniq 5 N has made all serious sports brands take notice. Several high-ranking Porsche executives have publicly praised Hyundai’s “fake” gear system.

It’s been almost three years since the Ioniq 5 N set new benchmarks for electric sports cars. Instead of focusing solely on brutal acceleration, Hyundai has put the driving experience at the forefront. The main tool for this was the simulated gearbox, developed by the same team behind the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission from the N division. The system is so convincing that it can fool most drivers.

Porsche has admitted that it has tested and studied Hyundai’s technology but is not yet ready to commit to introducing it to its electric models. “We’ll see what happens, but it’s a technology we’re certainly looking at. It’s very interesting. Honestly, Hyundai has done a really good job with it,” Ben Weinberger, Porsche’s product spokesman, told Car Sales. “If we go for it, it will be a Porsche-style solution, but it’s too early to talk about that.”

Last year, both Porsche’s vice president of the 718 and 911 lines, Frank Moser, and Porsche’s head of GT cars, Andreas Preuninger, praised the Ioniq 5 N, admitting that they learned a lot after testing it. “That’s the way to go,” Moser said of the simulated gearbox and internal combustion engine sound in the Ioniq 5 N. “The customer could choose whether they want to drive in complete silence or want to participate in the game, feeling the virtual sound of the ‘flat-six’ engine and virtual gear changes. That would be the direction of the future.”

The all-electric Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster would be the most logical candidates for implementing similar technology. However, Porsche will also sell those models with internal combustion engines at the same time, which could be the reason it is not investing too much in developing the simulated mechanical feel on which the Ioniq 5 N’s success is based.

Why offer fake speeds when the real ones are also on offer? On the other hand, if the electric 718 arrives on the market with a sterile driving feel compared to the three-year-old Hyundai, Porsche will have some explaining to do.

• Also See: No Electric Porsche 911 In The Foreseeable Future