Porsche Says EVs Would Be Worse With Fake Gear Changes

[kobayashiGT]

Source: https://www.motor1.com/news/731275/porsche-evs-worse-fake-gear-changes/

With the proliferation of EVs, changing gears is becoming a lost art. But it doesn't necessarily have to be this way. Hyundai lets you simulate gear changes in the Ioniq 5 N with a so-called "N e-Shift" function miming an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission akin to a Veloster N's. Aftermarket shops have gone a step further by engineering EVs with manual gearboxes. Porsche, on the other hand, will have none of that.

Speaking with Australian magazine Drive, Porsche development driver Lars Kern said the company is keeping an eye on what other automakers are doing. That includes Hyundai and its N division, which engineered what is arguably one of the most exciting EVs to date. However, the Zuffenhausen-based marque thinks artificial gear changes would do more harm than good.

Quote

"Obviously, we look into what the competition does, but our perspective on this is always why should we make something worse. I mean because, in like just how it translates power or how power is applied? The electric engine is better than an ICE [internal combustion engine], so we figured there's no reason to simulate what has been in the past."

The latter statement is rather controversial considering Porsche slapped the Turbo badge on the Taycan. In addition, the second-generation Macan crossover has already spawned a Turbo flavor despite not having a combustion engine. We're beginning to wonder whether a potential electric 911, which won't come this decade, will get a Turbo badge. The gas model has been using it since 1975. Up until a few years ago, the "Turbo" moniker strictly referenced turbocharging, but now it's also a trim level indicating the fast version.

But I get what Kern is saying. Faux gear changes would hinder the performance an electric motor with its instant response can deliver. Porsche believes an electric motor is better than an internal combustion engine, so why look back instead of focusing on the future? It's worth noting the Taycan actually has a two-speed transmission. First is used for a quicker standing start while the second is for efficiency and unlocking more power at higher speeds. The new Macan EV uses a single-speed setup.

Quote

"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 don't want to fake the combustion engine because we still produce combustion engines, so we don't we don't see the point of doing it."

However, Porsche admits that early on, it too toyed around with the idea of artificial gear changes. The project was still in its infancy when it was axed since not a single EV prototype was built. Kern said the company even sampled the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and its unconventional feature but they just didn't like it:

Quote

"We drove the Hyundai [Ioniq 5] N and had a look at it, and, obviously, there's always people who think that's a good idea and there's always people who think it's a bad idea. We came to the conclusion that that is not what we are looking for. We don't try to make the electric car feel like a combustion engine, so that's why we just didn't follow up on that."

Porsche is not backing down from electrifying its lineup since the Macan, Boxster, and Cayman with combustion engines are all going away to make way for EV replacements. In addition, the next-generation Cayenne will also be purely electric. However, the objective announced in 2022 to have EVs account for more than 80% of annual sales by the end of the decade is no longer in place.

That lofty goal is now "dependent on customer demand and the development of electromobility," with a Porsche spokesperson saying the "transition to electric cars is taking longer than we thought five years ago." For this reason, the current Cayenne will retain the V-8 into the next decade and will be sold alongside the electric next-gen model.

[inlinesix]

Base Carrera doesn’t have MT anymore.

Need to wait for Carrera T

[Inlinefour]

biggest concern should be the fire hazard issue cos it’s happening everywhere around the world 

 

be safe than sorry 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[Voodooman]

Yalor another EV fire.
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/parked-hyundai-suv-catches-fire-burns-down-house-its-owner-is-now-homeless-10580161.html/amp

[Davidklt]

Some EVs also have fake sounds.

This is something we used to laugh about when there are USB devices which played sporty engine sounds. Now they are reality.

Another reason why I dont like EVs.

 

Edited August 27, 2024 by Davidklt

[Stratovarius]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:13 PM, Davidklt said:

Some EVs also have fake sounds.

This is something we used to laugh about when there are USB devices which played sporty engine sounds. Now they are reality.

Another reason why I dont like EVs.

 

All these gimmicks are like vegans eating impossible meat.

[inlinesix]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:13 PM, Davidklt said:

Some EVs also have fake sounds.

This is something we used to laugh about when there are USB devices which played sporty engine sounds. Now they are reality.

Another reason why I dont like EVs.

 

Even current Civic eHEV has this fake sound which cannot be switched off.

But it can be switched off

Most ppl cannot accept loud engine sound especially 6L V12.

[kobayashiGT]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:13 PM, Davidklt said:

Some EVs also have fake sounds.

This is something we used to laugh about when there are USB devices which played sporty engine sounds. Now they are reality.

Another reason why I dont like EVs.

 

Why go backward with time? hahaha. If electrific liao, then be like a EV only lah. no biggie one. hahaha 

[Koster]

Why complicate matters?

[macrosszero]

"If ve aren't doing it, it must be verboten!"

*proceeds to slap a Turbo badge on an EV that doesn't have a turbo*

"Zis, zis is perfekt!"

While Porsche would be right to say any attempt to simulate ICE sounds or delivery would hinder performance, that is missing the point when it comes to driving enjoyment. We have come to a point where the average EV like Model 3, Seal, Ioniq 5, etc. would thrash your regular hot hatches like VW GTi, no one would call them drivers' cars just because they're fast. 

And in the same way, while a Model 3 Performance would (probably, without looking up Wiki) defeat the MX-5, Lotus Elise, Caterham Super 7 to name a few, in most measurable performance categories, it would never be placed in the same pantheon of vehicles.

The use case bears it out too - almost all the EVs you see on the road are driven like regular cars, not zipping about using even half of the performance that they have.

So yes, Porsche, there is a use case for a synthetic engine noise, a simulated power delivery, even a wiggly gear stick and a third pedal. At least in my opinion. 

But I won't ever be able to own a Porsche so, you do you, and I'm going to (hope to able to) do me.

#kthxbye

[inlinesix]

On 8/28/2024 at 9:25 AM, yishunite said:

I read somewhere I think article about BMW EVs that they realise the vehicle is too quiet until it became a safety issue (pedestrian dont realise car coming etc). So they have to make a car sound. Once this bridge has been crossed why stop at simple sound... might as well make sound like Batmobile 🤣

BYD Atto has this ugly sound at low speed.

I thought it was lousy motor.

I only realised it was a pedestrian safety thing, recently 

[Throttle2]

On 8/27/2024 at 10:10 AM, Inlinefour said:

biggest concern should be the fire hazard issue cos it’s happening everywhere around the world 

 

be safe than sorry 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Yes, thats why i stay away. 
 

all it takes is one explosion when someone is charging his car in his landed house or condo locally , and that would be the end….

[Inlinefour]

On 8/28/2024 at 1:41 PM, Throttle2 said:

Yes, thats why i stay away. 
 

all it takes is one explosion when someone is charging his car in his landed house or condo locally , and that would be the end….

strangely our gov still advocating ev 🫣🫣🫣

[Throttle2]

On 8/28/2024 at 2:05 PM, Inlinefour said:

strangely our gov still advocating ev 🫣🫣🫣

Other than 1stGen, they have been followers

[Inlinefour]

On 8/28/2024 at 2:23 PM, Throttle2 said:

Other than 1stGen, they have been followers

ikea free park and charge many drivers are sleeping inside car

 

guess they don’t know how dangerous 

 

☠️☠️☠️

[Lethalstrike]

On 8/28/2024 at 9:25 AM, yishunite said:

I read somewhere I think article about BMW EVs that they realise the vehicle is too quiet until it became a safety issue (pedestrian dont realise car coming etc). So they have to make a car sound. Once this bridge has been crossed why stop at simple sound... might as well make sound like Batmobile 🤣

The Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) is basically artificial sound piped to an external speaker of an EV to emit a sound or a noise when the car is typically moving at low speeds. This is actually an EU regulation, not so much about car makers purposely wanting to add sound to make their cars sound like spaceships or ice cream vans at low speeds 😅

[Beanoyip]

I don't understand all those fake gimmicky sound.. what's wrong with the natural sound coming from the motors?

[Lethalstrike]

On 8/29/2024 at 9:13 AM, Beanoyip said:

I don't understand all those fake gimmicky sound.. what's wrong with the natural sound coming from the motors?

Problem with electric motors is that their whine sounds about as sexy as your vacuum cleaner or the whine of an MRT while moving off 😆