Hyundai’s new electric car, the Ioniq 5 N, has a feature called “e-Shift” that might sound strange at first. It basically pretends to be a normal gas-powered car with gears, even though it’s electric.
I was skeptical at first. Why would an electric car need fake gears? But after trying it out, I was surprised by how well it worked.
Electric cars are great, but they can feel a bit boring to drive on a racetrack since they don’t have gears to shift. E-Shift fixes this by giving drivers the sensation of shifting gears, making the driving experience more exciting.
E-Shift even makes a sound like a gas engine, which some people might find strange. However, for me, it actually helped! Because the sound is similar to a car I’m familiar with (the Hyundai Elantra N), it made it easier for me to know when to “shift” and how to drive the car at its peak performance.
If you mess up a shift, the Ioniq 5 will cut power for a moment, similar to a gas car running out of fuel. This might seem strange in an electric car, but it actually helps you learn the car’s limits. Just like in a gas-powered car, trying to accelerate out of a slow corner in high gear with an E-shift will make the car feel sluggish. This reminds you to “shift down” (even though it’s electric) to get more power.
However, it’s important to remember that E-Shift is a simulation. Electric cars are faster than gas-powered cars because they deliver power differently. So, while E-Shift can be fun and help you feel more engaged while driving, it’s not about making the electric car slower or behave exactly like a gas car.
While E-Shift is currently the best way to give drivers a sense of control and engagement in an electric car, it relies on mimicking gas-powered cars, which are a thing of the past for electric vehicles. The future of performance EVs should focus on creating new and exciting driving experiences that take advantage of the unique capabilities of electric motors.
