When it comes to making high-performance electric vehicles act and sound like their shifty gas counterparts, it’s been the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that’s done the most so far, to mixed but mostly positive reviews, and a few awards along the way. That Korean EV uses unique torque mapping and programming to simulate the various power outputs of different gears in a traditional transmission. It also has a uniquely tuned soundtrack; it’s not a pure recording of a normal exhaust or engine, but it’s its own thing. Now, it seems Porsche has been taking note of the response to this sort of technology for EVs, developing its own prototype that mimics the shifts and sounds of a V8 Porsche Cayenne.
The Tech Is Already Being Tested
Speaking to The Drive during a drive event for the new prototype Cayenne EV, Porsche’s Sascha Niesen revealed that the company is currently developing the tech with a possibility for it to show up on future EVs. The simulated gear shift tech is modeled after Porsche’s own eight-speed PDK unit, with the same engineers working on the EV. Niesen says they went ahead and recorded the engine and exhaust soundtrack of a Cayenne’s V8, which hypothetically could then be mapped to the simulated gears. He also seemed to confirm that there was some indication of demand among Porsche’s EV buyers for such technology.
He further admitted that a prototype Cayenne EV with the modifications, including paddle shifters to control the simulated gear, was being driven by engineers earlier this year.
“I drove a concept vehicle in March. I wanted to hate it because it’s artificial and it’s fake and everything. I was afraid that the people that are doing it are just software geeks who have no idea how a transmission works and try to emulate it. […] They were able to make it feel like a proper torque converter gearbox. I could not tell the difference.”
– Sascha Niesen, verification and validation manager for the Cayenne EV
Some Customers Seem Interested
The camouflaged test vehicles presented to the media at this recent event did not include any gear features, but they did feature the new Porsche Electric Sound System with simulated V8 noises. Right now, the simulated gears and noise features are still being considered for final production, with no confirmation on whether they’ll be implemented. The German automaker thinks there could be some interest among Porsche’s enthusiast drivers for the added engagement, so long as it can be toggled on and off. “You’ve got to give the customer the option to be more engaged, but in an EV, it cannot be mandatory,” said Niesen.
It doesn’t seem like Porsche is interested in forcing this on anyone, but maybe it will for two important model lines on the horizon. The all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman sports car replacements are on the way, and with Porsche already toying with battery placement to mimic the balance of a mid-engined sports car, what’s stopping it from going all the way in mimicking the outgoing 718s?
It’s also notably interesting that this tech found its way onto a Cayenne EV, and not one of the automaker’s other existing EVs, particularly the Taycan, though it seems like it would be straightforward to program a simulated gearbox for each individual model, again, if there’s demand.
Would It Help Sell More Porsche EVs?
This new all-electric Porsche Cayenne SUV is expected to go on sale likely next year, though plans for an even larger, three-row electric SUV have reportedly been pushed back to 2029. The new all-electric Macan will soon be joined by a next-gen gas model as well, the company recently announced, and all of this is in response to slipping EV demand. What’s becoming ever more clear is that even for buyers willing to adopt electric vehicles, the pantomime of driving is important for an enthusiast brand. Adding simulated shifts to an electric powertrain does nothing to aid performance; if anything, it makes them perform worse. But maybe, just maybe, in making EVs technically worse, Porsche can make them more fun.
Source: The Drive