In recent years, you may have noticed more hybrid and electric vehicles on the roads, and with good reason. In 2015, just 1.1% of new vehicles registered had a plug, compared to 3.2% in 2019. By the end of December 2022, this figure had accelerated to 22.9% (16.6% BEV and 6.3% PHEV). The UK is set to ban all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and van sales by 2030, with hybrids being around provisionally until 2035, so in the not too distant future you could be driving an electric vehicle too.
However, driving an electric vehicle is still something most drivers have not yet experienced, and may be hesitant to do so. Driving an electric vehicle might sound alien to some, but don’t worry, you have nothing to fear.
In this blog, we run through what it’s like to drive an electric vehicle.
During this article, we will refer to an electric vehicle as an EV. Driving an EV is virtually the same with every vehicle. Turning the car on is done with the power button on the dashboard. Unlike a conventional petrol or diesel car, you won’t be greeted by the sound of the engine firing up, because your EV has a motor, and the car will be virtually silent when running. The car will likely have an electric hand brake, which is either automatic and will release when you start to drive, or can be released via a button. EV’s tend to have a gear selector similar to an automatic vehicle. It may be traditionally placed in the centre between the two front seats in the form of a lever or a rotary dial, or a stalk on the dashboard, depending on the model. With the brake pedal pressed, select drive, and then release the brake to set off just as you would in an automatic vehicle. The gear selector will also be used for reverse and park modes.
Once moving, there are no gears to worry about and no clutch to use. Again, just like an automatic vehicle., it is simply a case of stop and go using the brake and accelerator pedals. Even when in motion, you’ll notice how quiet and smooth the EV is. Electric motors provide instant torque giving you swift and sudden acceleration, so be careful of your speed.
EVs use regenerative braking, meaning kinetic energy is harvested to recharge the batteries. You may notice that the EV slows down more than a conventional vehicle when you ease off the throttle.
And that’s basically it! Driving an EV is straightforward and something that most drivers will get familiar with in no time.
Are you considering an Electric Vehicle? Take a test drive today!
Just Vehicle Solutions have electric vehicles in stock and are available for 6-12 month short term lease and daily and weekly hire. We’d love to show you round one of our brand new EVs, so if you are looking for a vehicle from anywhere between 1 day and 12 months, or would like to test drive an EV yourself, get in touch today or pop on down to our premises.
We have a Kia E-Niro, just a few months old, in physical stock (at the time of writing), so come and rent it from us for as little as a day or a week to see if an electric vehicle could be your next vehicle!