The role of a gearbox – manual or otherwise – placed inside a vehicle can be reduced to this: multiplying the torque produced by the engine. It's an oversimplification of things, but it's also mainly true.
With electric motors, that need can be easily overcome thanks to their inherent ability to deliver their maximum torque from zero revolutions per minute, which is why EVs notoriously either don't use multi-geared transmissions or, as is the case with the Porsche Taycan, they use one with just a pair of gears.
There are some exceptions, with the first one that pops into mind being the Jeep Wrangler Magneto (granted, a concept, but a functional one). The off-roader could have worked with a classic EV single-speed transmission, but Jeep decided to stick to a six-speed manual. It didn't have to, but it did.
If the reason behind Jeep's decision might have been the need for precise control over torque delivery that navigating difficult paths dictate, in the case of the Porsche 356 converted by British company Energetic, it's more a case of interfering as little as possible with the original – or, as some would call it, the right way of building a restomod.
The original air-cooled flat-four of the 356 is replaced by a single electric motor driving the rear wheels through the car's initial (though slightly modified) four-speed manual transmission. Like with the Jeep, a single-speed would have sufficed – and you can drive the 356 by leaving it in third and forgetting about the clutch pedal – yet keeping the manual was more than just a gimmick.
The Porsche 356's motor doesn't spin at the crazy revs electric motors usually do, which makes mashing through gears more than just an indulgence for nostalgia’s sake. Rory, the man reviewing the converted classic, makes a demonstration by launching the car in first and in fourth, with the strain each put on his spine in the neck area varying greatly.
With the motor spooling up to six or seven thousand RPMs, the gearbox makes a big difference in the vehicle's top speed as well. First gear will see it fly off the line (as much as the skinny original tires will allow it) whereas fourth is the right choice for highway cruising. You can also use the gears in reverse, though why you would ever need to play around with that is beyond us.
In terms of EV specs, the build by Energetic is nothing crazy. They don't reveal the power output, but they do say it is conservative. The battery pack has a capacity of 36 kWh, which is good for about 140 miles (225 km). You won't be getting too far, but wherever it is you're going, at least you know you'll travel in style.
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