The recent data supplied by the DVSA supports there’s been a surge in young learner drivers choosing to take their tests in automatic cars, and this upward trend has been increasing steadily since 2008. Fourteen years ago the tests taken in 2008 were only 3.8% in automatic cars, now it’s around 14%.
The trend has come about with the introduction of electric cars which are becoming more and more popular and all-electric cars are automatic, so the need to learn in a manual car, some would say is pointless. The AA is one of the UK’s biggest driving schools and will now be introducing electric car driving lessons in 2022. The lessons will now concentrate on how to conserve battery power, driving with only one pedal. No longer will there be any focus or a need for clutch control and changing gears?
Both the AA and BSM driving schools trialled electric driving lessons in 2021 and turned out to be a success for both companies. Instructors will be given opportunities to lease an electric car and trained on the new changes to driving tests as technology in the car industry takes on a new era.
The Deputy Chief of Driving Examinations Gordon Witherspoon in an interview with Auto Express magazine stated, “We constantly review tests for all vehicle types and take account of changes in driving habits”. He also went on to say that the DVSA had already started looking at ways to implement learner assessments for electric vehicles.
Fossil fuel deadline
If you don’t know by now, you need to be aware that the production of petrol and diesel cars will cease from 2030, meaning the sales of electric cars will increase significantly. One hurdle for many young drivers is the cost of buying a new electric car and having it insured. Right now, be expected to pay just over £17,000 for a brand new standard model electric car.
Where to get the car of your dreams
Due to used electric cars being in short demand, and an industry that is still fairly new in the electric car market, the second-hand electric car market as it stands today isn’t big, so car buyers are having to rely on used car dealers, like Best Price Car Sales who are based in Southampton to source them through our national network of partners and suppliers.
Not only do Best Price Car Sales stock used electric cars but we are also a major supplier of used hybrid cars, and of course petrol/diesel used cars. Even if you have an old non-compliant Ulez car, we will happily take it off your hands and offer you a fair part exchange in return for lower monthly payments on car finance.
To find out more about the current offers and latest deals from Best Price Car Sales, call us now at 02380 225 666 and speak to one of our friendly advisors, or to get instant car finance approval, click here to apply for same-day car finance.