Image Credit: Hyundai.Hyundai has already demonstrated that an electric performance car doesn't necessarily have to feel like one. Its N EVs can simulate gear changes, bounce off a virtual rev limiter, and pump combustion-inspired sounds into the cabin, all in the name of making the driving experience more involving.Now Hyundai is exploring another piece of the combustion-car experience that EVs don't naturally replicate: engine braking. A recently published U.S. patent describes a system that could vary an EV's regenerative braking according to its simulated gear and virtual engine speed.The idea builds on the simulated transmission technology already used by Hyundai Motor Group. Rather than providing the same off-throttle behavior regardless of the virtual gear selected, the proposed system could make lifting off the accelerator feel closer to what happens in a combustion-powered performance car.The patent, which was discovered by CarBuzz, doesn't confirm that Hyundai will put the technology into production. It does, however, show that the automaker is continuing to investigate ways of making simulated transmissions feel increasingly convincing.Engine Braking Without An EngineIn a combustion car, lifting off the accelerator can cause the engine itself to help slow the vehicle. The effect changes depending on factors including engine speed and the selected gear, which is why dropping into a lower gear can produce much stronger deceleration.EVs can already achieve a similar result using regenerative braking. When the driver lifts off the accelerator, the electric motors can resist the vehicle's motion while recovering energy and feeding it back into the battery.Hyundai's idea is to manipulate that regenerative braking according to the behavior expected from a combustion engine. High virtual revs in a lower simulated gear could produce stronger deceleration, while cruising in a taller gear at low virtual revs could provide much less.A downshift with the accelerator released could therefore be accompanied by an immediate increase in braking force. There still wouldn't be an engine doing the braking, but from behind the wheel, the sensation could become much more familiar.Hyundai Already Has Fake GearsImage for illustration purposes. Image Credit: Hyundai.Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N helped popularize this approach through its N e-Shift system. Instead of allowing its electric motors to deliver uninterrupted acceleration, software deliberately alters torque delivery to imitate the behavior of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.The experience includes simulated shifts and a virtual rev limiter, while accompanying sounds further reinforce the illusion. None of it is mechanically necessary for an EV, which is precisely the point: it's there because some drivers find the additional interaction entertaining.The proposed engine-braking system would add another layer to that experience. Rather than merely changing how the car behaves under acceleration, the selected virtual gear could also influence what happens when the driver gets off the power.A Patent Isn't A Production PromiseAt the time of writing, there is no confirmation that Hyundai will actually introduce the system on a production vehicle. Automakers routinely patent ideas that never make it beyond the development stage, whether to protect intellectual property or preserve options for future products.It's therefore too early to say whether an Ioniq N, Kia GT, or Genesis performance EV will eventually receive simulated engine braking. The patent only tells us Hyundai has developed an idea for making it possible.Drivers who prefer an EV's effortless, uninterrupted acceleration may feel like none of this is particularly necessary. However, if you're among those who occasionally want their electric performance car to pretend there's an angry engine and gearbox underneath, Hyundai might have something up its sleeve in the future.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.