DVSA CONDUCTING 'TESTS' ON DRIVERS AFTER THEY DITCH 'IRRELEVANT' TRADITION

Drivers have ditched "irrelevant" petrol and diesel cars for driving tests and lessons, with learners now choosing to use an electric vehicle. One in four are likely to pass their driving test in an EV by 2026, it has been claimed.

The DVSA runs driving tests nationwide and roughly 25 per cent of practical driving tests will take place in an automatic car by 2026, according to new figures from the AA. The DVSA found that 17 per cent of all vehicle passes were in automatic cars last year, compared with 13.4 per cent the previous year.

AA Driving School has now predicted that 20 per cent of all passes will be automatic this year, with 23 per cent expected next year and 26 per cent estimated for 2026. Camilla Benitz, managing director of AA Driving School, explained that as more people become confident with the idea of their driving future being electric, the need to drive a manual vehicle “will feel irrelevant to many".

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“Pre-pandemic more females than males took automatic tests, but we are now seeing male numbers increase and expect that trend to continue at a faster pace than before due to more automatic vehicles being available and more people buying EVs and hybrids," she said.

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 licence only covers you to drive automatic cars, not manual.

All electric cars are automatic, which means new drivers don’t have to cope with the steep learning curve associated with driving a manual petrol- or diesel-powered car. Data showes nearly seven in 10 motorists and drivers expressed concern about climate change as they traded in their traditional fuel vehicles.

And an eye-watering 90 per cent of survey respondents believed they would own an EV in the next 10 years.

2024-06-03T10:48:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd