+Matt Thompson not true ice in the Prius is simple and extremely reliable. The transmission that makes it all work is a very simple planetary gear transmission that us a dead reliable brilliant planetary gear system. There is no torque converter, belts, clutch clutch, no reverse hear and no gears to change. The plains is allways in gear and in the same gear and gear ratio. The gas engine and both electric motors are all directly connected to each other and the front tires all the time allways, at all speeds, while parked with the motor running and in reverse. The engine can start and stop with the car moving forward or in reverse at any speed or while parked with the gas engine and both the electric motors mechanically directly connected to the drive wheels. The gear ratio for a prius is the same in reverse, forward, parked and at all speeds. It's brilliant, dead reliable and simple. The complex part are the controls, but it all makes perfect sense and is brilliant simple engineering. Oh, the prius does have a clutch but it is allways engaged and you and the car can't engage, adjust or disengage the clutch. The only purpose of the clutch in a Prius is to absorb drive train shocks by allowing some slippage (nothing to do with parked, moving or reverse, just absorbs shock...required when the gas engine (turned on or off) and two electric motors are allways directly connected to the drive wheels at all speeds, parked and in reverse without ever changing gears or disengaging gears, chains, belts, a brilliant simple efficient very reliable design..