What Is Hyundai's N E-Shift, And How Does It Work?

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will arrive at U.S. dealerships in late 2023 with a bewildering array of "N"-branded go-fast features, components, and software. What's most exciting is N e-shift: a proprietary transmission program that emulates the shift behavior of a manual gearbox. 

Hyundai has a winner in the standard Ioniq 5, which is a retro-flavored, all-electric crossover with up to 303 miles of range and 320 horsepower with dual electric motors. But for the Ioniq 5 N to stand out, Hyundai's N division concocted the N e-shift to address what early adopters have been looking for in a performance EV: Driver involvement.

"Ioniq 5 N was developed to take driving fun to a new level by utilizing the latest technologies available," said Till Wartenberg, vice president and head of Hyundai's N brand. "To accomplish this, we've closely monitored the voices of our N fans to fine-tune our first all-electric N to electrify the driving passion of our most demanding N-thusiasts."

Hyundai's latest N e-shift transmission addresses "the lack of driver feedback behind the wheel of many EVs," said the automaker in a press release. N e-shift simulates the gear shifts of an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in a gas-powered car akin to Hyundai's Veloster N. It controls the power and torque using advanced software to simulate the jolting feeling of rowing through the gears.

The system could jolt while upshifting and provide rev-matching capabilities when downshifting, the same feeling you get when driving a manual-equipped sports car. Accompanying the N e-shift feature is N Active Sound + to complete the virtual manual-car experience. 

The system utilizes three user-selectable sound profiles and 10 speakers to play virtual driving sounds, an excellent complement to the manual-like behavior of the N e-shift. The most aggressive is "Ignition" mode, which plays the sound of a turbocharged Hyundai N gasoline engine when pressing the go pedal.

Hyundai USA

With the Ioniq 5 N and its excellent N e-shift transmission programming, Hyundai is knocking on the hearts and minds of EV naysayers like a love letter begging you to give it a second chance. With the Ioniq 5 N's 601 horsepower, 545 pound-feet of torque, a claimed 0-60 mph sprint in 3.4 seconds — alongside the addition of N e-shift, N Active Sound +, and the N Grin Boost feature that temporarily raises power output to 640 horses — Hyundai might have created the cupid of electric cars.