Electric vs petrol automatic driving lessons: what's the difference?

Learning to drive in an electric automatic and a petrol automatic is fundamentally very similar. The controls are almost identical, and the important skills (observation, steering, positioning, speed control, planning and judgement) transfer directly.

The biggest differences are how the cars sound, accelerate and slow down. Electric cars are quieter, respond more immediately to the accelerator and can slow noticeably when you lift your foot, because of regenerative braking.

So if you're learning in an electric car, you might wonder: will I still be able to drive a petrol automatic after I pass?

Yes. There'll be a short period of adjustment, as there is whenever you drive a different car, but you won't need to learn to drive again.

I teach automatic lessons in Sevenoaks in Rene, my Renault 5 E-Tech electric car. Here's what actually feels different, and what doesn't.

Electric vs petrol automatic: the quick answer

But these differences shouldn't be exaggerated. You still sit behind a steering wheel with an accelerator and a brake pedal. You still select Drive to go forwards and Reverse to go backwards. And you still need to drive safely.

What feels different in an electric car?

I've written in detail about what it's like to learn in an electric car, so here's the short version.

It's quieter. There's no engine noise to tell you how fast you're going, so you learn to judge your speed from the road and regular speedometer checks. That's a good habit in any car.

It responds quickly. Small movements of your right foot matter, so you learn to squeeze the accelerator progressively rather than treating it as an on/off switch. Smooth driving comes from smooth inputs, whether the car is electric or petrol.

It can slow down on its own. When you lift off, the motor can help slow the car while putting energy back into the battery. In a petrol automatic, lifting off slows the car too, but usually less. So if you move from electric to petrol, your first thought might be: "Why isn't it slowing down?" The answer is simple: you use the brake pedal a little more. And you'll adapt very quickly.

How I teach in Rene, so your skills transfer

This is the part that matters most for this question.

I start learners in Rene with strong regenerative braking, because it shows you exactly what your right foot is doing: lift off and the car slows; press and it goes. Once that's second nature, we move to a more conventional mode, closer to how a petrol automatic behaves, and you use the brake pedal more.

That way, you finish your lessons comfortable with both, and ready for whichever automatic you drive next.

It also matters for safety. Regenerative braking helps manage your speed in ordinary driving, but if you need to stop urgently, you brake firmly with the brake pedal, in any car.

Learning the car vs learning to drive

I want my learners to understand speed control, not just one car's behaviour. That's an important distinction.

If you learn, "When I reach this junction in this Renault, I lift my foot at this exact point", you're learning the car.

If you learn, "I need to approach this junction at a speed that lets me look properly and stop safely if I need to", you're learning to drive.

The second skill transfers to almost any car.

I don't teach you to drive an electric car. I use an electric car to teach you to drive.

A petrol automatic may change gear

An electric car generally doesn't have a conventional gearbox with several gears, so acceleration feels remarkably smooth. Press the accelerator and the car simply accelerates.

A petrol automatic has an automatic gearbox, and depending on the car you may feel or hear it changing gear. Some are so smooth you'll barely notice; in others you'll hear the engine rise and fall or feel a slight pause as it changes.

Either way, you don't need to do anything. The car handles the gears for you. That's why moving from an electric automatic to a petrol automatic is much easier than moving from an automatic to a manual.

What happens when you switch to a petrol automatic after passing?

Imagine you've passed your test in an electric car. A few weeks later, you borrow a parent's petrol automatic. Will it feel different? Almost certainly. For the first few minutes you might notice:

• the engine noise
• a slightly different accelerator response
• less slowing when you lift off
• the feel or sound of gear changes
• different controls and switches

But that's completely normal. Every car feels different. Move from one petrol automatic to another and you'll notice differences too: the brakes might be more sensitive, the steering lighter, the car longer, wider or taller.

That's why I don't want my learners simply to become experts at driving Rene. I want them to become drivers.

What carries over from electric to petrol?

Almost everything important:

• Observation: mirrors, blind spots and spotting hazards
• Junctions: judging whether it's safe to emerge
• Roundabouts: priorities, lanes, signals and safe gaps
• Road position and steering
• Speed: choosing the right speed for the road and conditions
• Planning: anticipating what other road users might do
• Parking: observation, control and positioning
• Dual carriageways: joining, judging gaps, changing lanes and planning your exit
• Independent driving: following directions while making your own safe decisions

And most importantly, judgement carries over. That's the skill that takes time to develop.

If I pass in an electric car, can I drive a petrol automatic?

Yes. Pass your test in an electric car and you get an automatic licence, which lets you drive any automatic car: electric, petrol, diesel or hybrid. What you can't drive is a manual.

So learning in an electric car doesn't restrict you to electric cars. It's a misconception I sometimes hear. The licence restriction is about the gearbox, not the fuel.

Is the test different in an electric car?

No. You're assessed against the same standard, whatever's powering the wheels. The examiner is looking at how you deal with junctions, roundabouts, other traffic and pedestrians, not your ability to operate a particular type of engine.

Which is better for learning: electric or petrol automatic?

I don't think there's a universal answer. Both can be excellent cars to learn in.

A petrol automatic gives you experience of a type of car that's still very common. An electric car gives you experience of one that's becoming increasingly common, without some of the noise and mechanical sensations of an engine.

Personally, I'm very happy teaching in an electric automatic. Its simplicity and smoothness let us concentrate on what I think matters most: observation, anticipation, planning and judgement. I also chose a small car deliberately, because small cars are easier to position and less intimidating to park.

But I wouldn't tell someone they must learn in an electric car because they expect to buy one, or in a petrol automatic because that's what they'll drive afterwards. The skills transfer remarkably well.

Frequently asked questions

So, electric or petrol automatic?

If you're choosing between electric and petrol automatic lessons, I wouldn't decide based on which you think will make the test easiest. The bigger aim is learning to drive safely.

An electric car will feel different from a petrol automatic. The quiet takes some getting used to, the acceleration is more immediate and regenerative braking changes how the car slows down. But those are small adjustments. The important skills transfer.

If you can read a busy roundabout in an electric car, you can read it in a petrol car. If you can spot a pedestrian who might step out, or judge a safe gap at a closed junction, in one, you can do it in the other.

And if you can anticipate what's going to happen several seconds ahead, it really doesn't matter what's powering the wheels.

Closing box (highlighted)

Learn in Rene, my electric Renault 5, with dual controls for everyone's safety. Automatic lessons → · Electric car lessons →