Hyundai was the first to simulate a gas car in an EV, with a virtual engine mode for the Ioniq 5 N. Switch into this mode, and the I5N sounds and behaves like a car with an 8,000-rpm turbocharged four-cylinder and an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Honda is looking at taking things a step further, simulating its greatest gas-powered cars in its future EVs.
At a tech presentation on its coming 0 Series EVs attended by our colleagues at InsideEVs in Japan earlier this month, Honda showcased a demo of these modes for media. There are settings for the 1992 NSX-R, 1999 S2000, 2022 NSX Type S, 2023 Civic Type R, and more. There's even a dedicated VTEC button to simulate Honda's beloved variable valve-timing system, and a mode simulating the automaker's airplane, the HondaJet. Each mode has its corresponding gauge cluster, which accurately replicates its gas-powered inspiration. You can see this in the video below.
With enthusiast-focused EVs, automakers have to figure out how to keep drivers engaged in the absence of a traditional gas powertrain. Very generally speaking, electric motors feel basically the same no matter what they're in, flattening the differences between cars. A simulated combustion mode lets an automaker create any powertrain characteristics it wants. It works uncannily well in the Ioniq 5 N, giving the car personality no other EV has now.
This is also a neat way for Honda to tie its future in with its past. The company has a huge well of history to draw from, so why shouldn't it?
All this said, Honda hasn't revealed all that much information on the system. In a news release, Honda simply says one of the five core tenents of its coming EVs is to offer "[t]he joy of driving with the feeling of oneness with the vehicle." We don't know if or when this system is coming, and what cars so equipped will feel like. Our colleagues at InsideEVs only got a brief static demo of the system, and as you can see from the photos, it's just a mockup.
So, we wait to learn more. But we are excited. The system in the Ioniq 5 N is a ton of fun, and if Honda can improve on this concept, it'll have a great thing going.
