Driving test in an electric car

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain what code 78 means and why an EV test leads to it.
• You can decide whether an automatic-only licence suits your plans.
• You can prepare an EV so it is legal and ready on test day.
• You can show smooth control of an EV's accelerator and regenerative braking.
• You can explain the checks and controls of the car you are using.

What you need to know and understand

• Electric cars count as automatic vehicles for the driving test.
• If you pass in an automatic, your licence is limited to automatic vehicles in that category, shown as code 78 on your licence.
• To remove code 78 you need a learner permit for manual driving and a pass in a manual car.
• The same skills are tested in an EV as in any car: observation, signalling, positioning, speed and control.
• Learner drivers in category B still need to complete their EDT lessons before the test, whatever the transmission.
• The car must be roadworthy, taxed, insured for you to drive on test, and show L plates.

Code 78: what an EV pass gives you

Pass in an electric car and your full licence will carry code 78. That means you may drive automatic cars only, including EVs, hybrids with automatic gearboxes and petrol or diesel automatics. Driving a manual car on that licence is not allowed.

For many drivers this makes little difference, especially if they plan to keep driving EVs. It can matter if you want to drive a family member's manual car, rent cheaper manual cars abroad, or take a job that asks for a full manual licence. Think about this before you book your test.

Getting the EV ready for test day

1. Charge the battery well, so range is never a worry during the test or the drive to the centre.
2. Check tax, insurance and any NCT certificate the car needs are valid, and display L plates front and rear.
3. Make sure all lights, indicators, tyres and wipers work and the car is clean and roadworthy.
4. Turn off any self-parking or self-steering features you do not normally use, and ask your instructor which driver aids are acceptable.
5. Learn where every secondary control is: lights, wipers, demisters and the parking brake, as the tester may ask you to use them.

What a tester will notice in an EV

• Smooth, gentle moving off, without lurching from the instant power.
• Use of the brake pedal to stop at junctions and hazards, not only lifting off.
• Extra care around pedestrians and cyclists who may not hear the car.
• Correct use of the parking brake and park mode when you stop.
• Good planning, so regenerative braking slows the car smoothly before hazards.
• Knowing how the car's technical checks apply: some petrol car checks, such as engine oil, may differ on an EV, so ask your instructor.

Common mistakes

• Booking the test in an EV without thinking about code 78. Decide first whether you will ever need to drive a manual.
• Stopping by lifting off only. Use the brake pedal so the tester sees deliberate control.
• Arriving with a low battery. Charge the night before.
• Not knowing the car's controls. Practise demisters, lights and wipers in the EV you will use.

Test yourself: Driving test in an electric car

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Code 78 in Ireland
• Learning to Drive an Automatic Car
• Learning to Drive an Automatic Car