Not long ago, the choice for learner drivers was between manual and automatic. Now, with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), a new dilemma emerges: is it better to learn in an electric or a petrol car? New data from the Electric Vehicle Council shows EV sales in Australia continue to climb, with 12% of new sales between January and June being battery electric or plug-in hybrids, up from 9.6% last year.
Julie Delvecchio, chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, says there are now 350,000 electric cars on Australian roads. “Given that the future of driving is electric, it just makes sense that we’d be teaching our kids on the cars that they’ll be actually using in the years ahead,” she says. In most states, learners can drive any light car as long as they are supervised by a full licence holder.
However, restrictions apply for probationary drivers. In New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, young drivers are banned from high-powered vehicles with a power-to-weight ratio above 130 kilowatts per tonne, which rules out some popular EVs like the Tesla Model Y, according to EV Central. For motorcycles, many states still require learners to start with a petrol bike with gears and a clutch, says Dr Chris Jones, president of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association.
Students can take their driving test in an electric car, but rules on driver support systems vary. In NSW, features like self-parking and cruise control must be turned off during the test, while in Queensland they can still be used. Some jurisdictions also require the car to have a centre-mounted park brake accessible from the front passenger seat.
Tarik Menzies from No Yelling Driving School says some parents prefer petrol cars, particularly for manual transmission, which is rarely found in EVs. “They think their child learning manual is a useful skill – like doing maths without the calculator,” he says. However, manual tests are increasingly rare; Transport for NSW data shows in 2024 manual tests (28,392) were a tenth of automatic tests (289,426).
Kathryn Collier from METEC Driver Training notes small differences for learners: EVs often have better torque and can be quicker off the mark. “Also be aware that your car may well be silent. So be extra vigilant in looking out for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists because they won’t hear you,” she says. Her organisation provides school driver programs with a range of vehicles, including a Nissan Leaf, to give young people EV experience.
