Coventry-based driving school trials electric vehicles

Coventry-based Smart Learner Driving School is taking advanage of a scheme between Highways England and Coventry City Council that allows businesses to trial electric vehicles.

Driving school owner Tommy said: "It’s a fantastic incentive between Highways England and Coventry City Council because it creates a synergy between students learning in an electric vehicle and then going on to purchase one.

"We know from experience that generally whatever vehicle students learn in, they tend to go and purchase either a petrol or a diesel car as it’s familiar to them. So, for me it’s about educating the drivers of tomorrow and changing habits so that we don’t live in the past tense anymore."

Employing 55 instructors, covering Coventry, Warwick and Leamington Spa, Tommy, has been running his business around 15 years. He said that the opportunity to learn more about electric vehicles has been hugely beneficial for him and his colleagues.

He said: "Being able to spend time in an electric vehicle has been a hugely educational experience. There was one instance where I recall picking it up and I was worried it would run out of charge before I got home, but I popped to the supermarket to use one of the charge points, grabbed a coffee and when I came back to the car it had gained 30 miles of range which was easily enough to get me back home.

"The electric car has all of the main features you’d expect in a petrol or diesel car, but the main difference is that it’s actually much quieter and we’ve found that students are now keen to learn in this vehicle compared to the other cars we have in our fleet.

"I’d urge other businesses to take part in the trial because it’s an excellent opportunity to find out more about electric vehicles and to dispel some inaccurate myths around them. The future is definitely pointing towards electric cars and I’m excited to be a part of that."

Following a successful pilot with the Energy Saving Trust and a launch with Leeds City Council last year, Coventry City Council is among the beneficiaries of the investment alongside Kent and Nottingham, who have schemes operating as well as Sheffield and Bristol, who are setting up their own schemes.