Two Mainstream Automakers Might Hold The Key To More Driver-Centric Porsche EVs In The Future

Hyundai’s N e-Shift making EVs fun

Hyundai is one of only two automakers that have made EVs feel like combustion-powered vehicles. Most EVs, including Hyundai N’s sporty offerings, do not feature a physical gear set. Most EVs have a single-gear ratio. That said, Hyundai has found a way to simulate the driving feel of an eight-speed automatic transmission, which you can shift yourself, through steering-mounted paddles or a "gear shifter”. What people like about combustion-powered sports cars is here, and more.

Hyundai’s N e-Shift system works by actively reducing the torque of the electric motors, on upshifts, similar to how the RPMs in an internal combustion engine drop once you go to a higher gear. In Hyundai’s case, you also get a rev-counter that goes to 8,000 RPM although the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N electric motors go up to 21,000 RPM. The best part for enthusiasts is that the system isn’t completely forgiving. As explained by YouTuber Jason of, Engineering Explained, if you “over-rev” while downshifting mid-corner, the car will slide out a bit, but not in a dangerous way. Hyundai has committed to making its sports EV cars as enjoyable as they can be, in the same way Porsche’s T-Hybrid powertrain assures the 911 will keep its classic driving characteristics, that everyone loves.

Porsche’s upcoming 718 EV will likely test the waters to see how a mid-engine Porsche EV would fare. If Porsche is looking at what others are doing to ensure electric vehicles are as enjoyable as ones running on liquid dinosaurs, we would like to see a similar system in the brand’s future EV sports cars. Porsche has also dabbled in hydrogen and synthetic fuels, but that comes with its own set of constraints. Here are some of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N’s features we would love to see in a future Porsche EV sports car:

Toyota’s approach is a bit more bizarre

Back in 2022, Toyota filed patents for manual transmission for EVs. Similar to Hyundai’s N e-Shift, it emulates a conventional transmission, normally found in an ICE-powered vehicle, by reducing or increasing torque output, depending on whether you upshift or downshift. Toyota has gone a step further by incorporating a physical clutch pedal and an H-pattern shifter to simulate the classic feel of driving a manual transmission, as seen by a video scoop from last year.

Should Porsche develop a manual transmission for EVs?

While Toyota and Hyundai’s efforts in making EVs feel like traditional ICE performance cars are commendable, should Porsche do the same for its EV sports cars? Despite the PDK transmission being one of the best automatics in the business, the same is, often, said for the company’s manual transmission. Fans of Porsche sports cars still crave the organic driving experience of changing the gears yourself, despite it making the car slower.

Driver engagement was the single thing that gearheads have said was missing in EVs. While Hyundai’s solution in the Ioniq 5 may come off as fake to someone, it is the best execution yet where the sound and feel come close to a gas-powered sports car. MOPAR fans were nowhere as intrigued with the muffled sound of the all-electric Dodge Charger. This could very well be the start of a new trend across the industry. Perhaps a future, EV variant of the Porsche 911 would feature similar tech to appeal to hardcore fans.