With electric sales on the up and plans to reduce the sales of combustion engined cars steadily over the next 10 years it seems sensible to wonder whether you’d be better off passing your test in an EV. 

A manual petrol? That’s a thing of the past, isn't it? It’s actually hard to remember the last time many of us on the Electrifying team actually drove one… 

​BYD surveyed 2,000 people in 2025 to find out how many people would prefer to learn to drive in an EV – surprisingly more than a third of 18 to 34-year-olds said that they’d rather learn in an electric car. The number went down significantly with the older age groups. 

Can I even take my test in an EV?

Yes, you can take your test in an electric car – the fuel doesn’t make any difference to your booking, but you will have to decide whether you want to apply for a manual or an automatic licence, which means what type of gearbox the car has. 

People often assume that you need a driving instructor’s car to take your test – the requirements are simply that the car must be taxed, insured for a test and have a valid MOT with no warning lights showing on the dashboard. Other rules are that it should have L-plates attached, four wheels, reach at least 62mph and have an extra little rearview mirror for the examiner, as well as being smoke-free. 

But there are driving schools out there that offer electric options these days – the AA signed a deal with Peugeot back in 2022 to run e-208 and e-2008 training cars, and nowadays has expanded to run a fleet including Volkswagen ID.3s, Mini Acemans and BYD Dolphins. 

Can I only drive electric cars if I pass in an EV?

You’ll still be able to drive a petrol or diesel car if you pass your test in an EV, but you’ll be restricted to cars with an automatic gearbox. 

There are differences to the way that the cars drive (EVs have a lot of oomph off the line, where combustion cars take a little while to get going) but functionally they’re all much the same to actually use. Same pedals and controls, although it’s a bit different when it comes to putting your fuel in.

Should I even bother with a manual licence?

It’s certainly a good question worth thinking about – if you’ve made the switch to electric and don’t need a job that involves driving cars and vans professionally then you can get by quite easily nowadays without driving a manual gearbox. There are so few cars that go on sale with the option available. 

If you were looking to drive professionally – in a van, for example – then you’d want to have the flexibility in case you were needed to drive a manual vehicle.

Are EVs good cars to learn to drive in?

Electric cars are in many ways perfect for beginner drivers – they don’t stall, they’re easier to control and much less fuss in traffic. 

And they've been around for longer than you think – the Nissan Leaf above was touted as the first electric driving instructor car way back in 2013. 

The great thing about them is that you can concentrate on learning to read the road and deal with what’s going on outside the car. 

What are the downsides to learning in an electric car?

If you pass your test in an EV you won’t be able to drive a manual car later on, you’d have to retake your test in a petrol or diesel car. 

It could also limit you when it comes to renting a car on holiday, but most car hire centres now have a broad range of automatic and even electric cars available. 

The forward thinking Lego City Driving School at Legoland Windsor has been running electric cars since 1996