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Tesla Roadster: two gears and no reverse
The Tesla Roadster has only two gears. First gear goes up to about 65 miles an hour, and second gear takes off after that. There is no reverse gear; to back up, the engine is just run backwards meaning that, in theory, the car could reach its top speed--130 miles an hour--in reverse. When designing the drivetrain, Tesla commissioned a company that specializes in transmissions for Formula One cars.
