EV gears explained: are all electric cars automatic?

Most electric cars are essentially automatic. This means there is no need for the driver to change gear. You simply engage D (for Drive), press the accelerator pedal and let the car do the work. Alternatively, you can select R (for Reverse).

There’s a lot more to it than that, though, not least because a traditional automatic transmission in a petrol or diesel car has several gears, whereas most electric cars use a single gear.

Why do electric cars have a single gear?

To explain why most EVs use a single gear, let’s start with why petrol and diesel cars have multiple gears. Put simply, traditional engines generate usable power and torque within a narrow band of engine speed, so they require multiple ratios to keep them within this band at different road speeds. It’s why you use first gear to pull away, then fifth or sixth on a motorway.

Electric cars don’t have this problem and can accelerate from standstill to motorway speeds (and beyond!) in a single gear. They leave the factory with a gear that delivers the best blend of acceleration, top speed and range.

Do electric cars have a reverse gear?

Not as such. Instead, an electric car has a reverse switch, designed to look like a traditional gear selector. Selecting R simply switches the direction that the electric motor (or motors) will spin, enabling you to move backwards.

In addition to R (Reverse), an electric car will have N (Neutral) and P (Park), while some will have different driving modes as well. Examples include S (Sport) for enhanced performance and E (Eco) for when you want to maximise the car’s range.

Do any electric cars have more than one gear?

Some high-performance electric cars, such as the Audi E-tron GT and Porsche Taycan have two-speed gearboxes. The first gear is used for acceleration, enabling faster starts from a standstill. Then the second gear is designed for high-speed cruising.

Can an electric car have a manual gearbox?

It’s not currently possible to buy an electric car with a stick shift, but that could change in the future. Toyota is developing a simulated manual gearbox for its next generation of electric cars, saying it wants EVs to be ‘fun to drive’.

Early reports suggest that the manual electric car is more than just a gimmick, with the system limiting output in each gear to mimic the power delivery of a petrol or diesel engine. There’s still work to be done before the system is ready in 2026, however.

How do you drive an electric car?

It’s easy to drive an electric car. In most cases, you simply press the ‘Power’, ‘Start’ or ‘On’ button, select Drive or Reverse using the selector, then press the accelerator pedal. From there, it’s just like driving a traditional car, although you will have to get used to regenerative braking, which sends energy to the battery when you are slowing down.

The other feeling you’ll need to get accustomed to is the calmness of the drive. Although an electric car can do nothing about the state of our roads – and you’re no doubt aware of the near-silent driving experience – the biggest surprise may be the wonderfully smooth way an EV speeds up and slows down.