Do Electric Cars Have Gears?
Find out why electric cars don't need gears and how their transmission works
Electric cars don’t have gears. They use what is known as a single transmission instead. This means that you can simply switch an electric car on and instantly access 100% of the motor’s capacity.
Read on to find out more about why electric cars don’t need gears, a clutch and other details.
Why Do Electric Cars Not Need Gears?
In a conventional car, the transmission cannot start ‘under load’ because a combustion engine only produces a small amount of torque when stationary. This means that you must gently apply ‘load’ before driving off.
This is done by raising the clutch pedal and setting off in a low gear before changing up at regular intervals.
Electric cars don’t have this problem. They can start completely 'under load' because an electric motor provides more torque than a standard ICE engine at all times. The electric motor also always spins at a constant speed. This provides linear acceleration and smooth power output at all times.
This makes them super easy to drive and negates the need for a gearbox.
This video from CNET Cars explains the process well.
Does That Mean Electric Cars Don’t Have a Reverse Gear Either?
Absolutely. Electric cars don’t have any gears, so there is no reverse gear to select either.
When you want your EV to go backwards, you still select reverse mode but all that changes is that the motor spins backwards instead of forwards. In theory, this would mean that you could go just as fast in reverse - but EVs have a software limiter that prevents this for safety reasons.
Do Electric Cars Use a Clutch?
Electric cars do not need a clutch. There are only two pedals and you only have to put your foot on the accelerator to move off, so it pays to drive gently and smoothly.
In theory, an electric car could be fitted with a multi-speed gearbox and a clutch. However, this would make them more complicated and more expensive. Additionally, many EV drivers love the simplicity of the clutchless driving system, so it wouldn’t make sense to add one in.
Are Electric Cars Manual or Automatic?
Electric cars are classed as automatic vehicles.
Technically, by the traditional definition, electric cars are neither manual or automatic. Even an automatic car uses gears, even though the computer does all the work for you. However, there are no plans for reclassing them as their own entity as things stand.
Read More
How Does an Electric Car Work?
Learn more about how the electric motor works and how it powers an electric car in this article.
Why Should I Buy an Electric Car?
Not needing to change gears ever again may be a selling point for an electric car, but there are plenty of other benefits. Find out what these are and why you should consider buying an electric car in 2024 in this article.
How Far Can an Electric Car Go?
The range of an electric car is a key consideration for any driver. If you suffer from ‘Range Anxiety’ and see it as a barrier to EV ownership, find out how far an electric car can go in this article. You might find that it’s a lot further than you think!