Driving tests
Electric vehicles are far less likely to catch fire than vehicles powered by petrol or diesel, but when they do, it’s more difficult to bring the fire under control due to the structure of the battery cells and lithium’s properties.…
The Land Transport (Road User) Amendment Rule 2023 has come into effect and has some implications for drivers. Clearways Parking in a clearway is now explicitly prohibited. Previously, clearways weren’t mentioned. Clearway has the same meaning as in Part 2…
One advantage of an electric vehicle is that it can generate power that is fed back into the battery when it is coasting (i.e. foot not on the accelerator) or braking. This is called regenerative braking. EVs allow the driver…
An electric vehicle is missing the complex engine and gearbox that’s required in a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle. Electric motors are much simpler, and don’t require the maintenance. Consequently, servicing is cheaper and less frequent, which partially offsets the premium…
A vehicle’s ability to tow requires four things: Enough spare engine torque to pull the load without, for example, running out of steam on a hill Enough braking power to cope with the extra weight of the trailer The ability…
EVs are more susceptible to changes in battery performance based on the ambient temperature than petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles. Lithium batteries are positively affected by warmish weather, but negatively affected by extreme heat and cold. When the temperature drops below…
Many potential electric vehicle owners are put off by the range and charging options. However, most new EVs have several hundred kilometres of range and there are more and more charging stations and charging options available. Despite this, most EV…
What’s different between driving an electric truck and a diesel truck? The majority of drivers would struggle to get an electric truck started without some kind of introduction, so let’s go over the basics. The first step is to disable…
An electric truck is a delivery vehicle powered solely by batteries that drive an electric motor as opposed to a diesel engine. Feasible truck sizes are small and medium-sized curtainsiders, hardside delivery vans and tippers; it’s not yet feasible to…
The Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999 was recently updated to include a definition for electric motorbikes under “approved motorcycle”: …is powered by motive power wholly derived from an external source of electricity and is approved for use by the…
When you turn an electric car on, it’s virtually silent. You might hear a faint whine of various components, but it’s nothing like the persistent growl of a petrol engine or the relentless clatter of a diesel engine. What is…
An EV lane is reserved for electric vehicles and any other vehicles marked on the sign, for example, vehicles carrying two or more people (T2), heavy vehicles, motorbikes, etc. Priority bypass lanes on motorways allow drivers of certain vehicles to…
Legal restrictions for riding electric bikes on the road Electric bikes are becoming very popular. The first models looked painfully uncool, but now there are bikes that look very fashionable. Given that an electric motor can be both small and…