Cool project IMO. Sure, electric motors have near linear torque curves, but I still think this is awesome.
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Linear torque is not an argument against shifting. Linear torque gives more hp as rpm rise, so shifting allows more hp to be produced.
A flat hp would be an argument against shifting, and electric motors typically have fairly constant hp once they rise out of the current-limited low rpm zone. A real-world setup that is current-limited doesn’t hit the flat hp zone until deep into the rpm band, so it would benefit from shifting.
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I don’t disagree, just trying to avoid the “you don’t need gears with an electric motor” mantra.
Plus you explained better than I ever could 
I agree. Physics says energy is the capacity to exert force to move an object. Energy is power time (watt*seconds=joules). So more power, more energy, more affective at moving the object.
Nice project ! I still think they should use a CVT though
The engineer in me appreciates the logic of CVT. The enthusiest in me really dislikes them. SCCA has a class called F500. It runs 500cc snowmodbile engines. They sound terrible at a constant RPM the whole time
Right? On paper, CVTs are a silver bullet. But between the blandness and fragility, they aren’t always the answer in the real world. A flat hp band can also tolerate the larger steps in a traditional ‘box, negating the main benefit of a CVT since you don’t lose power at each successive gear. CVTs make more sense the narrower the powerband.