Virtual gearbox: the strange new trend in electric cars

Manufacturers are now betting on an option designed for electric cars that are meant to do without it.

For decades, automotive engineers have pursued a simple goal: to make cars faster, smoother, and more efficient. With electric vehicles, they have finally succeeded. No more vibrations, no more response times, no more gear shifts. A continuous, instant, and perfectly linear push.

And yet, here we are in 2026, with several manufacturers working hard to reintroduce… gear shifts.

The latest illustration comes from Porsche. In its new Taycan, the German brand now features a virtual gear system aimed at enhancing the driving experience. Hyundai paved the way with its Ioniq 5 N, quickly followed by Kia, Lexus, Toyota, Honda, and BMW. They all share the same belief: sporty cars are not just about the clock.

The Unnecessary Essential

Let’s admit it: the idea is profoundly absurd. Electric cars were precisely designed to do without a gearbox. And now, we are artificially recreating power cuts, mechanical jolts, and even RPM limitations. In other words, we are deliberately adding inconveniences that technology had finally eliminated.

But this contradiction also tells us something fascinating. For over a century, revving engines, aggressive downshifts, and powerful gear changes have become universal symbols of sportiness. They are part of our automotive culture. So much so that their disappearance leaves a void that engineers are now trying to fill with software.

So, should we scoff at it? Not necessarily. After all, if these artifices add a bit of pleasure and interaction to electric driving, why should we deprive ourselves? A passionate car is also an emotional object.

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• 20/06/2026 14:22

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With one condition, however: do not charge for this simulation as a premium option. Because paying several hundred euros to artificially regain what technology has removed would then reach a level of absurdity that even the greatest comedians wouldn’t have dared to imagine.

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