>Interestingly, Formula E cars have a 5 speed gearbox, but mostly because the rules says they have to. This is no longer required. A few teams stuck with the

>Interestingly, Formula E cars have a 5 speed gearbox, but mostly because the rules says they have to. This is no longer required. A few teams stuck with the five speed, but most have dropped to three or four speeds. The Formula E cars still need gearboxes because there isn't a single gear ratio that can provide optimal acceleration between 0 and 175mph with an 18,000 RPM redline. The massive powerband of the motors means that they don't benefit from as many gears as piston engines do, but there is still a benefit to having more than one gear. The next generation cars will go dual-motor, presumably each with different final drive ratios: a shorter gear on the front motor for low-speed power, and a taller rear end gear for top speed, but this is speculation on my part.