Powerful electric vehicles are a contentious topic these days – which is perhaps unsurprising considering that electric vehicles themselves are still polarizing. But some automakers believe part of the solution to adding a little fun to electric vehicles could lie in “simulated gear changes.” The technology is exactly what it sounds like. Essentially, automakers would use software to recreate the feel of a transmission shift. BMW M is the latest proponent of this technology, confirming that the upcoming electric M3 will feature such a system. Full of anger at the idea of a “wrong circuit”? Don’t be.
The “Impossible Burger” defense
There are plenty of other good reasons why simulated gear changes aren’t such a bad idea, but we’ll start with a metaphor we picked up from our friends at Designworks. In an interview, one of their speakers drew a parallel between sustainable materials and an “Impossible” (plant-based) burger. The point is that, depending on your lens, simulated gear changes in an electric vehicle will never be “real,” but they can still be considered an upgrade. Finally, simulated gear changes bring with them the advantages that all electric vehicles offer, such as: B. no exhaust emissions and lots of instant torque.
It’s not hard to run far and fast using the plant-based burger metaphor. Especially the way Designworks presented it – as more, not less. “Switching gears” in an electric vehicle will never affect the driving experience. BMW’s exact quote on the matter was very selective about how the system was implemented, emphasizing “emulated shifting in certain modes.” In addition to the gear changes, there are “M-specific sounds for an improved driving experience, which also relate to the emulation of the gear change.” But this tells us: if you don’t like simulated gear changes, you can just drive without them. No BMW M Performance EV will be worse off with this feature.
If done right, it’s probably neat
I don’t think anyone here at BMWBLOG has driven a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N yet. There’s a chance you, dear reader, didn’t either. The lifted electric hatchback is widely considered to be the most enthusiast-friendly electric vehicle ever. In terms of dynamics, it’s a real blast, but the implementation of the artificial gear changes deserves real praise. Out of Road and rail To your favorite influencer: Almost everyone has nice things to say about the car and its well-executed fake gear shifts. I’m suspicious of influencers, but when multiple venerable media outlets band together to shout praise, you have to listen.
One final note: This was inevitable. Anyone paying attention knows that electric vehicles are, by and large, the future. It won’t happen tomorrow, but in the coming decades much (most?) of the world will increasingly rely on electric vehicle infrastructure. High-performance electric vehicles are becoming increasingly relevant. Getting the “feel” right will be critical to brand differentiation. And we’ve known for over a year that BMW M has been working on simulated gear changes, with M boss Frank van Meel’s praise directed at none other than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. M developer boss Dirk Häcker described the Ioiniq 5 N as a “very interesting” electric vehicle. As people who are committed to making cars fun to drive, these comments confirmed that M’s simulated shifts were a foregone conclusion.
Are cars with simulated gear changes suitable for everyone? Probably not. Personally, I’d rather see BMW try to make its next performance electric vehicle a few hundred pounds lighter. Hopefully the two things aren’t mutually exclusive. But on the whole, the collector car world is better off with simulated gear changes. And I’d rather have the illusion of gears than nothing at all. After all, powerful electric vehicles are generally a bit tepid today. You have to start somewhere.
