BMW to copy Hyundai, introduce fake gear shifts in EVs

Van Meel seemed to be impressed by the Ioniq 5 N's simulated gear shifts.

Speaking at an interview, Frank van Meel, Head of the BMW M division, spoke highly of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and its simulated gear shifts, fake exhaust notes, and drift mode.

In particular, Van Meel seemed to be impressed by the Ioniq 5 N's simulated gear shifts. So much so that he stated that even BMW needs something like that in their fast, performance cars. He mentioned how pure EVs with one gear and no sound produce no emotions, while also making it hard to judge how fast one is driving. Van Meel stated that one of the ways to fix that is what Hyundai is doing.

He stated, "I like the way they think - that’s the way we think as well. You need to have feedback [in the car]. If you’re on the track, you don’t have time to look at your speedometer or tachometer. If you’re racing, if you take the time to look at your display, two cars will overtake you. So what you want to have is a way to know what gear you’re in, a way to ‘feel’ the revs."

The BMW M CEO further went on to mention, "In a pure EV with one gear, no sound, and no emotion, you don’t know if you’re doing 125, 150, or whatever. You need a solution for that. You have to find a connection to the brain of the driver, without forcing you to look at your speedometer. So I think what [Hyundai] did with gear emulation and sound - which is actually what we’re working on already – is the way to go. We need something like that in our fast, performance cars."

Frank van Meel also recently confirmed the arrival of an all-electric M3 in the near future. The new BMW M3 electric is said to have quad motors and produce around 1,341 BHP. The BMW M CEO also claimed that the electric M3 will "beat everything."

Source: TopGear