Do electric cars have gears?

ELECTRIC cars are becoming increasingly popular around the world.

But do they have gears and who can drive them? Here’s all you need to know…

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Do electric cars have gears? 

Electric cars and conventional cars have many things in common.

However one thing that is different is powertrains.

Electric cars do not have gears.

This is because they don’t need a clutch – so they only have one gear.

Electric cars deliver power immediately so revving isn’t needed.

They tend to have a simple switch that mimics the settings of a gearbox.

This switch will let you select ‘Drive’ to go forwards, ‘R’ for reverse and ‘N’ for neutral. 

However, some companies have been trying to produce electric vehicles that do still have a five- or six-speed gearbox – for drivers that are used to having a manual.

Some may also have additional modes – like Eco or Sport.

Are electric cars classed as manual or automatic transmission?

Electric cars have automatic transmissions, rather than manual.

This makes them easy to drive, especially in stop-and-go city driving. 

What driving license do I need to drive an electric car?

Most electric cars require a normal drivers license.

However, there are certain cars where this is not required.

Citroën has announced its new urban electric car Ami One Concept, which is pitched at city-dwellers who don’t have a driving licence. 

Anyone 16 years of age and over, can legally drive this car legally on roads.

How long does it take to charge an electric car? 

How long it takes to charge an electric car depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point.

It could take anything from 30 minutes to 12 hours depending on these factors.

A typical car with a 6kWh battery takes roughly 8 hours to charge fully with a 7kW charging point.

How long does the charge last? 

Most electric cars can travel roughly 150 miles on a single full charge.

However some, like Teslas can go about 350 miles on one charge.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk