Do EV's encourage poor driving?
Discussion
2014 -
EVs are too slow.
They're driven by eco-warriors that sit at 40mph everywhere due to poor range.
They're getting in the way of me having fun in my ICE car.
BAN THEM.
2024 -
EVs are too powerful.
They're starting to be driven by people that exploit the performance.
They're making my ICE car look less impressive.
BAN THEM.
EVs are too slow.
They're driven by eco-warriors that sit at 40mph everywhere due to poor range.
They're getting in the way of me having fun in my ICE car.
BAN THEM.
2024 -
EVs are too powerful.
They're starting to be driven by people that exploit the performance.
They're making my ICE car look less impressive.
BAN THEM.
LowTread said:
2014 -
EVs are too slow.
They're driven by eco-warriors that sit at 40mph everywhere due to poor range.
They're getting in the way of me having fun in my ICE car.
BAN THEM.
2024 -
EVs are too powerful.
They're starting to be driven by people that exploit the performance.
They're making my ICE car look less impressive.
BAN THEM.
yup, summed up perfectly!EVs are too slow.
They're driven by eco-warriors that sit at 40mph everywhere due to poor range.
They're getting in the way of me having fun in my ICE car.
BAN THEM.
2024 -
EVs are too powerful.
They're starting to be driven by people that exploit the performance.
They're making my ICE car look less impressive.
BAN THEM.
Tycho said:
Richtea1970 said:
M.F.D said:
I've been noticing this for a while and trying to separate it from the fact that generally driving standards in the UK are pretty poor. I reside in a new build estate and there are a few EV's that regularly drive excessively quickly when coming in and out. Some I've noticed didn't drive like this when they had an ICE car previously.
It was just other other day I was in with the family having a 'Starby's' waiting on our car being serviced when I noticed several EV's launch out the drive thru queue across the carpark. I'm also finding that increasingly cars on the school run are travelling/accelerating at a rate that I feel they weren't before.
Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Is it the lack of involvement - no gearing, no engine noise and the fact that they are so big and heavy that is causing people to become desensitised to speed and causing their driving standards to slip?
I gave up at ‘Starby’s’! It was just other other day I was in with the family having a 'Starby's' waiting on our car being serviced when I noticed several EV's launch out the drive thru queue across the carpark. I'm also finding that increasingly cars on the school run are travelling/accelerating at a rate that I feel they weren't before.
Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Is it the lack of involvement - no gearing, no engine noise and the fact that they are so big and heavy that is causing people to become desensitised to speed and causing their driving standards to slip?
head pile with people who go on "Hollibobs" and celebrated the "Platty Joobs".Calm doon.
S600BSB said:
My wife reckons I drive better in my ipace than in my silly cars.
Yeah, but my point is that most people have went from a fairly pedestrian ICE car to something that has instant acceleration. I assume having silly cars you have an awareness of speed and throttle modulation, which clearly many don't. 
AC43 said:
I was in an EV on the way to Lisbon airport on Wednesday.
The driver was really pissing me off because, in the afternoon traffic he kept on lunging forward and then braking hard. Then lunging, then braking. Then lunging, then braking.
Plus he didn't have the a/c on so it was either sweat like a bd or open the window and get a faceful of diesel fumes from the rest of the traffic.
Anyway, he was clearly one of those irritating drivers who treat the throttle and brakes as binary devices and the acceleration of an EV just made it worse.
fking unpleasant experience.
Had the same on a taxi in Brussels, albeit it was a knackered diesel Skoda Octavia with all warning lights on the dash on: I think that even the engineers at Skoda wouldn't know the existence of some of those The driver was really pissing me off because, in the afternoon traffic he kept on lunging forward and then braking hard. Then lunging, then braking. Then lunging, then braking.
Plus he didn't have the a/c on so it was either sweat like a b
d or open the window and get a faceful of diesel fumes from the rest of the traffic.Anyway, he was clearly one of those irritating drivers who treat the throttle and brakes as binary devices and the acceleration of an EV just made it worse.
f
king unpleasant experience.Maybe the drivers the OP originally referred to, are car enthusiasts and where previously, they would have used their mechanical sympathy to allow engine and gearbox oils to get up to operating temperature before pressing on, whereas now, the full performance of the EV is pretty much available from the moment you switch it on. Or maybe, they woke up late and need to be somewhere!
I probably drive a bit more dickish with an EV, joining roundabouts quicker than necessary. Maybe this is causing the EV insurance increases as well as cost of repair etc. Even a low performance EV has quite a lot of power for nippy accelerating.
It hasn't changed me overall though, I still don't middle-lane hog, tailgate, still read the road carefully, overtake cyclists carefully etc.
I have a theory that EVs were initially owned by powerfully built intelligent directors, wealthy academics etc. Now they're working their way to the common folk we will see more dodgy driving and when boy racers start getting them all bets are off.
It hasn't changed me overall though, I still don't middle-lane hog, tailgate, still read the road carefully, overtake cyclists carefully etc.
I have a theory that EVs were initially owned by powerfully built intelligent directors, wealthy academics etc. Now they're working their way to the common folk we will see more dodgy driving and when boy racers start getting them all bets are off.
There are other things that are coming that encourage poor driving. Lane Keeping Assist is one; to return to your original lane you have to indicate (to disable the LKA function. So people may well either, indicate excessively, or just stay in the lane they are in. Dumbing down driving, in my view.
TheRainMaker said:
I can't say I've noticed any difference TBH.
Post covid, everyone seems to be driving slower, but it has nothing to do with the drivetrain.
I’ve noticed that as well. It used to be that driving on the motorway at 70mph meant most people passing you. Now, you seem to be the one doing the passing.Post covid, everyone seems to be driving slower, but it has nothing to do with the drivetrain.
It’s definitely not all an EV hyper-miling thing as there still rent enough EVs out there to make that much of a difference.
Richtea1970 said:
M.F.D said:
I've been noticing this for a while and trying to separate it from the fact that generally driving standards in the UK are pretty poor. I reside in a new build estate and there are a few EV's that regularly drive excessively quickly when coming in and out. Some I've noticed didn't drive like this when they had an ICE car previously.
It was just other other day I was in with the family having a 'Starby's' waiting on our car being serviced when I noticed several EV's launch out the drive thru queue across the carpark. I'm also finding that increasingly cars on the school run are travelling/accelerating at a rate that I feel they weren't before.
Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Is it the lack of involvement - no gearing, no engine noise and the fact that they are so big and heavy that is causing people to become desensitised to speed and causing their driving standards to slip?
I gave up at ‘Starby’s’! It was just other other day I was in with the family having a 'Starby's' waiting on our car being serviced when I noticed several EV's launch out the drive thru queue across the carpark. I'm also finding that increasingly cars on the school run are travelling/accelerating at a rate that I feel they weren't before.
Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Is it the lack of involvement - no gearing, no engine noise and the fact that they are so big and heavy that is causing people to become desensitised to speed and causing their driving standards to slip?
I am going to hate this aren't I...
Megaflow said:
Richtea1970 said:
M.F.D said:
I've been noticing this for a while and trying to separate it from the fact that generally driving standards in the UK are pretty poor. I reside in a new build estate and there are a few EV's that regularly drive excessively quickly when coming in and out. Some I've noticed didn't drive like this when they had an ICE car previously.
It was just other other day I was in with the family having a 'Starby's' waiting on our car being serviced when I noticed several EV's launch out the drive thru queue across the carpark. I'm also finding that increasingly cars on the school run are travelling/accelerating at a rate that I feel they weren't before.
Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Is it the lack of involvement - no gearing, no engine noise and the fact that they are so big and heavy that is causing people to become desensitised to speed and causing their driving standards to slip?
I gave up at ‘Starby’s’! It was just other other day I was in with the family having a 'Starby's' waiting on our car being serviced when I noticed several EV's launch out the drive thru queue across the carpark. I'm also finding that increasingly cars on the school run are travelling/accelerating at a rate that I feel they weren't before.
Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Is it the lack of involvement - no gearing, no engine noise and the fact that they are so big and heavy that is causing people to become desensitised to speed and causing their driving standards to slip?
I am going to hate this aren't I...
Sigmamark7 said:
Maybe the drivers the OP originally referred to, are car enthusiasts and where previously, they would have used their mechanical sympathy to allow engine and gearbox oils to get up to operating temperature before pressing on, whereas now, the full performance of the EV is pretty much available from the moment you switch it on. Or maybe, they woke up late and need to be somewhere!
Negative. These people are not car enthusiasts. 
stumpage said:
Should be do modern cars encourage poor driving?
Yes. They are now an iPad on wheels, too many distractions, not easy to find simple functions, drivers battling with assistance systems that aren't designed for UK roads (Speed limit and lining recognition).
I think that depends on the car.Yes. They are now an iPad on wheels, too many distractions, not easy to find simple functions, drivers battling with assistance systems that aren't designed for UK roads (Speed limit and lining recognition).
In the Polestar, you can switch all that stuff off, and it stays off; the screen I really don't have a problem with.
The i3s, I find using idrive worse than a touch screen, it also doesn't have lane assist etc (I'm not sure it you call an i3 a modern car).
stumpage said:
Should be do modern cars encourage poor driving?
Yes. They are now an iPad on wheels, too many distractions, not easy to find simple functions, drivers battling with assistance systems that aren't designed for UK roads (Speed limit and lining recognition).
My wife’s car has both.Yes. They are now an iPad on wheels, too many distractions, not easy to find simple functions, drivers battling with assistance systems that aren't designed for UK roads (Speed limit and lining recognition).
Neither are a distraction.
Change lane, indicate, the line recognition doesn’t kick in.
The question of whether car design affects driving is interesting, and I am sure it does. I alternately drive a manual Mustang and an automatic 2 litre X3. The Mustang is much the faster car.
However,I have to take far more care to drive the X3 within urban speed limits. It is a mild hybrid, but a lot of the reasons would also fit a full EV. Little clue to speed from engine noise. Lack of engine braking because of hybrid assistance, unless the battery is flat in which case regen braking occurs. Car tends to change into a high gear at low speed making it easier to let speed drift up- it will be in 6th or 7th when I would be in 3rd or 4th in the Mustang in spite of the Mustang's torque..
Of course all these things can be worked around, and using Sport mode paradoxically makes driving slowly easier!
That suggests that, for me at least, I would have to take more care with an EV than an ICE, particularly than an older manual ICE.Without that care, I'd sometimes be going too fast .
However,I have to take far more care to drive the X3 within urban speed limits. It is a mild hybrid, but a lot of the reasons would also fit a full EV. Little clue to speed from engine noise. Lack of engine braking because of hybrid assistance, unless the battery is flat in which case regen braking occurs. Car tends to change into a high gear at low speed making it easier to let speed drift up- it will be in 6th or 7th when I would be in 3rd or 4th in the Mustang in spite of the Mustang's torque..
Of course all these things can be worked around, and using Sport mode paradoxically makes driving slowly easier!
That suggests that, for me at least, I would have to take more care with an EV than an ICE, particularly than an older manual ICE.Without that care, I'd sometimes be going too fast .
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