Driving an electric car – what’s it like?

So the first thing you’ll notice about an electric vehicle (EV), is that they mostly look like normal cars. Once you’re in the driving seat, however, it’s a different story.?

Firstly, many EVs don’t use traditional keys. Instead, they use fobs to open the doors.?

To get the EV started, there’s a start/stop button to press. When you turn it on – the biggest difference is that there is absolutely no sound. With no petrol or diesel engine to fire up, an EV is totally silent. Once you’ve got used to that and the fact that the noisiest thing on the road are the other cars, you simply slip the gear shift into drive (no clutch either, more like an automatic car than a manual) and away you go.?

Bear in mind that pedestrians won’t hear you either, so take care at junctions when they are crossing.?

An EV has just one gear, as an electric motor will produce enough torque (or pulling power) for any situation, so the need for multiple gears is unnecessary.?

The EV’s pulling power equates to quite a bit of oomph when pulling away from traffic lights compared to a petrol or diesel car. EVs really perform well in an urban environment – when they are stopping and starting frequently.?

It’s worth bearing in mind that when you take your foot off the accelerator and the car is coasting, the wheels act like little turbines generating electricity. When you brake, more electricity is produced and this energy is ‘harvested’ by the EV, topping up the battery slightly.?

Smart driving like this will increase the range of your EV, especially in urban situations. If you are using your EV to bomb up and down motorways, then this ‘harvesting of power’ will be less frequent, meaning you will need to stop more frequently to charge up your battery at a charging point.

In addition to the Drive setting on the gear shift, you’ll notice Park, Reverse and Neutral – just like a normal automatic car. Look a bit closer and you’ll see another setting – B, which stands for Braking mode.?

When you take your foot off the accelerator you can employ the Braking mode, which actually slows the wheels down and generates more of that electricity that can be harvested – all without applying the actual brake pedal. Before long you get into the habit of using the Braking mode as a general means of slowing the car down, only using the brake pedal to actually bring the car to a halt or make an emergency stop. By driving smart like this you are maximising the car’s ability to harvest more top up to the battery, thereby increasing your range.