Most electric cars only have 1 gear and it’s always engaged. If you put the car in reverse, it uses the same gear, but the motor spins the other way.
Even in neutral the motor still spins when the wheels are turned, it just doesn’t output any power to the wheels.
They were possibly confusing nitrogen with carbon dioxide. CO2 will definitely lead to distress in high concentrations, and has been used in some slaughterhouses.