How to drive an electric?

[Totoro]

Hello,
all my life I've always driven petrol cars with manual shift. The automatic EV will be a welcome and comfortable ride for sure, but I'm a bit worried about how to drive it. I'll have to learn a few things from scratch. For example, without the leftmost shift pedal, how are you supposed to use the brake? Right foot for both pedals, like now, or right for accelerating and left for braking when needed? Is it hard to gauge the speed, since there is no motor noise to go by?
Probably silly questions, I know, but it's a new world for me.

 

[siteguru]

Whilst I've occasionally driven an automatic (e.g. hire car in USA) all my previous cars have been manual ICE. (My last car was a diesel 6-speed manual Insignia). I found the MG4 very easy to adapt to ... and the fact that mine doesn't have OPD is something I prefer; it means that the car creeps (like a normal automatic) unless you use the brake.

Regen braking is the main thing to get used to (plus the fact that there isn't any when battery charge is near 100%, so this can catch you by surprise the first time you encounter it). Regen level 1 in the MG4 is fairly similar to engine braking in an ICE.

 

[Grriff]

We took delivery of an MG4 in August moving from a manual Jazz. You need to place your left foot firmly on the plate provided and leave it there.
I find it difficult to judge speed and set the speed control to limit the speed to the speed limit signs. Not ideal as the wrong speed sign is occasionally picked up but useful in 20 mph zones.
I find the acceleration of an EV makes it easy to go over the speed limit.

 

[5teep]

Go easy on the right foot until you get used to the acceleration and as grriff says keep your left foot off the pedals.
It can be hard to gauge speed yes so make use of the cruise control and watch your speed after overtaking, I find that's when I have made mistakes and not slowed down or found myself going much faster than I expected.

 

[Ian Key]

Hello,
all my life I've always driven petrol cars with manual shift. The automatic EV will be a welcome and comfortable ride for sure, but I'm a bit worried about how to drive it. I'll have to learn a few things from scratch. For example, without the leftmost shift pedal, how are you supposed to use the brake? Right foot for both pedals, like now, or right for accelerating and left for braking when needed? Is it hard to gauge the speed, since there is no motor noise to go by?
Probably silly questions, I know, but it's a new world for me.

As has been said keep your left foot on the support plate and just use your right foot as normal.

If you are still weary about driving an automatic is there a local driving school who would give you a one-off lesson?

 

[JimD]

The main problem I had was putting my left foot on the brake while I was stopping at junctions (my subconscious felt my left foot had to do something!).

You soon get used to it, and it's so easy to drive you'll wonder how you could ever enjoy driving a geared car again (at least that's how I feel).

 

[Gomev]

The main problem I had was putting my left foot on the brake while I was stopping at junctions (my subconscious felt my left foot had to do something!).

You soon get used to it, and it's so easy to drive you'll wonder how you could ever enjoy driving a geared car again (at least that's how I feel).

I only ever did that once in an automatic. The bruising from the seatbelt and the violent emergency stop was a great reminder never to do that again.
The pressure used on a clutch pedal by your left leg is way more than you ever use to brake.

 

[Jomarkh]

I used to tuck my left foot behind my right just incase I went to use it on the brakes. After nearly year driving an EV I just put it on the foot rest.

 

[Rolfe]

The test drive I had in a DSG Golf in 2009 was a freaking disaster, even though I had driven an automatic in the USA the previous year. However, I bought the DSG car. Soon my main issue was, if I had been driving a manual car, reaching for the gear stick and trying to press a clutch in my Golf immediately afterwards.

I still do it on the MG4 sometimes - nothing much just a vague wave of the left hand, then I feel silly.

 

[Ruislip Resident]

When I drove an automatic car whilst on holiday in Australia I was forever turning on the wipers when trying to flip the indicator stalk.

 

[Ian Key]

When I drove an automatic car whilst on holiday in Australia I was forever turning on the wipers when trying to flip the indicator stalk.

I've washed and wiped the windscreen at someone who cut me up before now. But it's been more embarrasing when I've done it the other way round and flashed my lights and sounded the horn at a few drops of rain.

 

[siteguru]

When I drove an automatic car whilst on holiday in Australia I was forever turning on the wipers when trying to flip the indicator stalk.

But that's nothing to do with it being an automatic - just that the stalks were the other way round from most other cars.

 

[Ruislip Resident]

Yup. Just thought it was amusing to tell.

 

[Jef]

I had no problem with feet, braking with the right foot is the preferred way but occasionally I find myself in go cart mode using one foot for each pedal. The problem I had anticipated was slow speed manoeuvres such as parking as I had always controlled speed with the clutch - what to do now? Turned out to be an easy fix, keep the right foot off the accelerator pedal, let the car creep and control speed with gentle application of the brake pedal (with the right foot). I still sometimes find myself pressing the foot rest and like Rolfe waving left hand toward a non existent gear stick, I wonder if that is how some members have broken the foot rest?

 

[pollenface]

I drive it the same way as an automatic car.

 

[Mickser]

Hello,
all my life I've always driven petrol cars with manual shift. The automatic EV will be a welcome and comfortable ride for sure, but I'm a bit worried about how to drive it. I'll have to learn a few things from scratch. For example, without the leftmost shift pedal, how are you supposed to use the brake? Right foot for both pedals, like now, or right for accelerating and left for braking when needed? Is it hard to gauge the speed, since there is no motor noise to go by?
Probably silly questions, I know, but it's a new world for me.

Once you get use to one pedal driving you will realise how easy and relaxing driving can be,stress free motoring

 

[EVsince2016]

There are several factors to learn.

1 - Efficiency

Efficiency with EVs differs from ICE cars.

ICEs are best cruising at say 38 mph. Lowers speeds worsen MPG significantly, higher speeds gradually until above 80 mph when efficiency drops off fast. EVs are most efficient at lower speeds unless heating is on then too slow can have an impact, whereas efficiency drops fast above 60 mph.

You need to learn light touch acceleration, ECO modes help this until you get used to it. Avoid braking & use regen brakes as much as possible. Higher regen levels are best in traffic & lower levels on faster steady roads. Again, once you are used to it you can just stick to max regen & use your foot. Avoiding any regen & allowing natural slowing is even better & each regen / reuse cycle costs 15% in losses.

Another rule is to keep the battery between 20-80% as this creates the best regen performance.

This gets you 4.0 m/kw versus 3.0 m/kw, great on longer trips & for costs.

2 - Feet

My right foot does the power, my left foot the brake. You soon get used to it, sensitivity in the left foot takes a while.

The huge benefit is reaction times, it saves seconds in an emergency and enables very nippy town driving!

The risk is pushing both at the same time!

 

[gnutrino]

The main problem I had was putting my left foot on the brake while I was stopping at junctions (my subconscious felt my left foot had to do something!).

So glad I'm not the only person to have done this. For me it was pressing the brake down with my left foot when I got in to get the car to "System Ready" and then trying to pull it up to find the bite and wondering why nothing was happening. Didn't help that I was used to cars where you have to press the clutch all the way down before they would let you start the engine but I think I've managed to nip that habit in the bud and it's all gravy from there.

 

[tsedge]

Left foot braking is somewhat controversial but the main concern with this is when people are not used to it or still drive a manual car. In those cases it is hard to adapt the pressure if switching between vehicles.

But inherently there's nothing unsafe about left or right foot braking and good anticipation and reading the road ahead generally beat reaction times.

 

[EVsince2016]

8 years of EV only driving and I only switched to 2 foot driving with the MG5 in 2021