Car Transmission & Gear Ratio Simulator
Shift through the gears of a gearbox and see the gear pair, engine rpm, wheel speed, torque and speedometer.
Hold GAS to drive. In Auto the gearbox changes gears for you; choose I shift to pick gears yourself with the Shift up and Shift down buttons, or Full manual to use the clutch and the H-shifter. Keys: up = gas, down = brake, left and right = shift, Shift = clutch. Watch the engaged gear pair glow while the others spin freely.
About the Car Transmission & Gear Ratio Simulator
Free car transmission & gear ratio simulator. Shift through the gears of a gearbox and see the gear pair, engine rpm, wheel speed, torque and speedometer. Drag, change the sliders and see the result live. No sign-up, works on phone and computer. Built for engineering, the car transmission & gear ratio simulator runs instantly in your browser: change a setting or drag an object and the result updates at once, so you learn by trying things out rather than only reading about them.
Shift through the gears of a gearbox and see the gear pair, engine rpm, wheel speed, torque and speedometer. Use it to explore engineering ideas at your own pace, then check what you found against the key ideas further down this page.
How to use the Car Transmission & Gear Ratio Simulator
- Use the controls to change How do you want to drive?, Cruise throttle (foot stays down), Gear (or drag the shifter), Clutch (full manual only), Final drive ratio. The simulation reacts instantly.
- Pick an option such as Auto: just use the pedals, I shift (clutch is automatic), Full manual (I use the clutch), N to switch modes or load an example.
- Press "GAShold", "BRAKEhold", "CLUTCHhold", "◀ Shift down" to start, reset or change what is happening.
- Where you see a glowing handle, object, weight or atom, drag it with your mouse or finger. Everything responds in real time.
- Watch the readouts and graphs update as you experiment, and compare what you see with the key ideas below.
Things to try
- Accelerate in 1st gear, then shift up.
- Compare torque at the wheels in 1st and 5th.
- Put it in neutral and rev the engine.
Key ideas you can learn
- Gear ratio = teeth on output gear ÷ teeth on input gear.
- A low gear multiplies torque but reduces speed.
- A high gear gives more speed but less torque.
- Wheel speed = engine speed ÷ (gear ratio × final drive).
Where this is used in the real world
Every car, bicycle, wind turbine and machine tool uses gear ratios to trade speed against torque.
Who is this simulation for?
Engineering and technology students, makers, robotics clubs and teachers of design and technology. It gives a hands-on feel for how machines behave before you build a real one.
For teachers: project it on the board, let students predict what will happen, then run it together. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why do cars have several gears?
The engine works best in a narrow rpm range, so different gear ratios let the car cover a wide range of speeds and torques.
What is a gear ratio?
The number of turns of the input shaft needed for one turn of the output shaft.
Is the Car Transmission & Gear Ratio Simulator free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup, no download and no ads inside the simulation. It runs in your web browser.
Does the Car Transmission & Gear Ratio Simulator work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses touch as well as the mouse, so you can drag objects with your finger. A larger screen makes the controls easier to see.