I got to see a Tesla Roadster in person this summer, see it, touch it, sit in it, and talked with the sales guy for at least an hour.
It is a great car, but the transmission was one of the first things I asked about.
Here is video of the actual car I was chilling out with.
It had a stick shifter that had 1,2 & R on it. I asked about the transmission, and was told selecting either 1 or 2 both put it into the only (single) gear that it had.
This car has really got people talking about electric cars in a way that Forkenswifts and Electro-Metros haven't.
We DO need an electric Model-T, an affordable, everyman's electric car.
Part of my rant against the Auto X-Prize rules a while back was about how everyone wants crazy fast 0-60 speeds, unlimited range, and zero emissions.
The single-speed transmission in Tesla Roadster would be PERFECT for a great, no-nonsense electric car!