Can you learn to drive in an electric car?

From 2030, all newly manufactured cars sold in the UK will be electric only. This means that for future generations, the way we learn to drive is set to change forever. As the electric revolution beckons, learner drivers will instead be passing their driving tests in battery-powered cars.

This begs the question; Can you learn to drive in an electric car? We answer this and many other EV learner driver related questions in our article dedicated to the topic. Read on to find out more…  

Can you learn to drive in an electric car?

Yes, you can learn to drive in an electric car as long as you are of the legal driving age (that’s 17-years-old here in the UK). Not every independent driving instructor currently offers this as an option though, but the main driving schools do accommodate learners who want to drive an electric car. 

In fact, it was over 10 years ago (back in 2012) that the first learner driver took a driving test in a battery-powered vehicle. Navdeep Singh from Hull was 17-years-old when he passed his practical driving test in a Vauxhall Ampera model. 

Learning to drive in an electric car

The main thing you’ll need to be aware of when learning to drive in an electric car is that the licence you’ll be awarded is for an automatic vehicle only. This means you won’t be taught how to drive a manual car with gears, nor will you legally be permitted to do so once you’ve passed your driving test.

According to the AA, as many as two in five learners would prefer to learn to drive in an electric car instead of a manual. In light of this, motoring specialists the AA have added over 100 electric vehicles to their current fleet of learner cars. 

And it’s not just straightforward driving without the gears that appeals to many new and young drivers; it seems the appeal of lower driving costs is a big deciding factor too. The AA claims that drivers can save around £2,600 a year on fuel costs by choosing to drive an electric car. But that’s not all, greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by up to 66% when driving an electric car instead of one with a conventional combustion engine, so it’s good news for the environment too.

So, how does learning to drive in an electric car compare to driving a manual petrol or diesel version? Well, the lesson structure is fairly similar in many ways. Learners are still required to master manoeuvres such as reverse parking and a three-point turn, as well as being able to demonstrate safe driving skills and an understanding of the roads - including signage. 

The main difference is that those learning to drive in an electric vehicle will receive additional training about how an EV works and how to charge a battery-powered vehicle using a chargepoint. To reflect an ever-growing demand for automatic driving, the AA has reached out to the Government in a bid to review and modernise the current theory and practical driving exams. Watch this space. 

Is it easier to learn to drive in an electric car?

Learning to drive in an electric car is far easier than learning in a manual car. This is because electric cars are automatic so they don’t have gears - which means learner drivers don’t have to master the art of clutch control either! Any budding motorist remembers the days of stalling a car while learning, and now that can be a thing of the past for learner drivers. 

In terms of foot pedals, there is just a brake and accelerator to worry about - although some EVs now have what’s called ‘one pedal’ control for an even more simplified driving experience. The dreaded ‘biting point’ and ‘hill start’ under test conditions is no more when you learn to drive in an electric car. 

Can a new driver drive an electric car?

Yes, a driver who has just passed their test can drive an electric car. In fact, new drivers will find driving an EV much easier thanks to it having no clutch to contend with at all. As long as the driver has passed both their theory and practical test, a new driver can legally drive an electric car with a standard category B driving licence. 

Can you drive a manual car if you learn to drive in an electric car?

No. If a driver has learnt to drive in an electric car, their driving licence won’t permit them to drive a manual vehicle. This is because current driving test legislation only allows people to drive a manually operated car (that’s one with gears) if they learned to drive and passed their practical driving test in one.

Electric car finance at your fingertips

Follow your electric car dreams and make them a reality thanks to vehicle finance solutions. No matter what your budget, here at Octane Finance, we will work with our vast panel of lenders to secure you the best deal possible. 

If you’ve not yet made your mind up about what model of electric car to choose, then check out our list of the top 10 cheapest electric cars on sale in the UK - we reveal that EVs can prove affordable!

Then head over to our free online finance calculator to discover what your monthly payments could look like, so you can budget accordingly.