Driving an EV
Driving an EV is similar for almost every model. Turn the key or press the ‘Power’ button on the dash to turn the car on (Ready mode). Select Drive, which will often be by moving a traditional gear lever, like the one in an automatic car. Press the ‘go’ pedal!

Figure 7 EV controls (Source: Volvo Media)
Some manufacturers have moved the drive selector to the dashboard. For example, you twist the selector towards the windscreen to go forwards, and towards you for reverse. Other EVs may have a rotary dial, with gear markings around it. With these, just turn the dial to select forward or reverse.
Pure EVs do not have gears or a clutch pedal, press the accelerator pedal to go and the brake pedal to stop. It is not possible to stall an EV.
They are very smooth and quiet, and a pleasure to drive. The instant torque of the electric motors means good acceleration. In some cars, amazing acceleration so take care not to go too fast! Cruising at about 60mph with smooth acceleration and gentle braking is the most economical.
EVs use something called regenerative braking (recuperation). This converts movement energy into electricity to recharge the batteries. Because of this, an EV may slow down more than you expect when you lift the accelerator pedal. However, you can use this to your advantage as it makes the drive smoother and produces less wear on the brakes.

Figure 8 After driving down this road in the French Alps, my EV had 5 miles more range due to regenerative braking
Range
The range of an EV is how far it can travel on a full charge. In other words, starting with the battery at 100% and driving it until the battery is completely discharged.
Vehicle range depends on a number of factors, including battery size, vehicle size, aerodynamics, battery heating efficiency and outside temperature. It is entirely normal for an electric vehicle to travel more miles on a charge on a hot summer day than a cold day in winter. It also depends very much on driving style (as it does for an ICE vehicle).
Range anxiety
Range anxiety is the fear that an electric vehicle will not have enough battery charge to reach its destination, leaving you stranded. This anxiety is particularly prominent when considering long-distance travel, on roads where charging points could be few and far between. This is however improving every day.
They other key improvement is the actual range a vehicle will now achieve. These examples are based on standard test conditions (called the WLTP) but even if you reduce them by 25% to make them more ‘real world’, they are still good:
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 379 miles range
- Kia e-Niro Long Range: 283 miles range
- DS 3 Crossback: 199 miles range
- MINI Cooper S 1: 144 miles range
Just like with an ICE vehicle, it is important to choose a car that matches your needs. Interestingly, the average return journey length in the UK and EU is about 20 miles.

Maybe a small EV is all you need?
Fuel costs
The initial upfront purchase price of an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle can be higher, this can be offset by reduced running costs. Electric vehicles offer savings including:
- A full charge in a pure electric vehicle will typically cost about half of the equivalent in fuel when owners charge at home and have access to an off-peak electricity tariff
- There are fewer mechanical components in an electric vehicle compared with conventional vehicles, which often results in lower servicing and maintenance costs
- Lower vehicle excise duty (VED)
- Free or cheaper access to low emission and congestion zones
- Free parking for electric vehicles is available in some towns and cities.
Of course if you are lucky enough to charge from solar panels like me then the ‘fuel’ cost is very low – or on a sunny day, free!