Putting electric vehicles to the test: The 6 main differences about learning to drive in an EV

With more electric vehicles on the road than ever before, how are driving tests changing as we make the switch to EVs?

As we slowly approach the Government’s 2050 net-zero emissions target, all new cars from 2030 will have to be electric. This is clearly reflected in people’s interest in new cars, with carwow data revealing that EV enquiries are up 89% compared to this time last year, but what does the change in attitude mean for learners? 

Carwow teamed up with RED driving school (the first UK driving school to have a learner pass their driving test in an electric vehicle) to find out what’s different about learning to drive in an EV, compared to the traditional petrol and diesel driving experience. 

The 6 main differences when learning to drive in an EV 

1. Differences in acceleration – while having no clutch makes electric cars simpler to drive than most, it is still a skill to learn how to accelerate and brake appropriately using an electric car’s regenerative braking.

2. Charging techniques – Ensuring that newly passed drivers understand how to use their electric car will become a key part of the driving course, to highlight the importance of planning journeys, know where nearby charge points are located and how far cars can go on one charge.

3. Economic use of battery power – Learners will need to demonstrate their ability to observe and anticipate battery usage.

4. Awareness of other road users – Pedestrians often use sound to indicate when a vehicle is approaching. Because EVs are much quieter than petrol- and diesel-powered cars, drivers should be mindful and exercise even greater awareness of pedestrians and cyclists.

5. Battery Range – As learning in an EV becomes more common, the driving test may evolve further with examiners checking to ensure that the driver can use the techniques needed to maximise the range of the vehicle. carwow has built an EV range calculator to help drivers choose the EV with the right range for them. 

6.Show me, tell me – there will be changes to the ‘show me, tell me’ section of the driving test, which aims to assess a driver’s knowledge of general maintenance and day-to-day running of their car. Examples of this could be asking candidates to show how to use an EV charge point or show awareness of available charge points in areas they are traveling to. 

Seb Goldin, CEO of RED driving school told us – “The growing demand for electric vehicles can be explained by the Government net zero targets as we approach the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, as well as the younger generation’s passion towards tackling climate change.  This is being reflected in the cars they drive. RED data showed that 68% of survey respondents expressed concern about climate change as well as 90% of survey respondents believed they would own an EV in the next 10 years.

“Driving tests in electric cars currently follow the same rules as tests for cars with an automatic gearbox. This means that if you pass your test in an electric car, your license only covers you to drive automatic cars, not manual.”

“It is likely that when taking a test in an electric car, most of the elements of an automatic car test will remain. There could, however, be some changes to the ‘show me, tell me’ section of the test, which aims to assess a driver’s knowledge of general maintenance and day-to-day running of their car. Examples of this could be asking candidates to show how to use an EV charge point or show awareness of available charge points in areas they are traveling to”

“Instructors who have a private driveway are in a great position to purchase an electric vehicle if they are able to easily charge their car at home. However, a recent survey conducted at RED shows that 26% of instructors don’t have their own driveway or access to private overnight charging. With driving all day being part of the job, relying on public chargers can be daunting for instructors.”

Learning to drive and buying your first vehicle can be an exciting but nerve-racking  time, especially with the world moving into new territory as the production of petrol and diesel cars ends, and to help with this carwow have listed the top 5 best EVs for new drivers in their useful ‘electric car driving test’ page.