Comments on: News : Vauxhall posts first electric driving test pass

By: Richard Davies

Richard Davies — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:50:14 +0000

My Mum’s 1995 Fiesta had no PAS & that was a pain to get into tight spaces.

I don’t know how my Mum & sister ever coped with it.

By: Russell G

Russell G — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:15:25 +0000

“That won’t even have power steering”? Christ, what decade are you living in? Most “old bangers” will have PAS, can’t imagine there will be many cars around that will be realistic first cars built in the last 15 years without it. The last car I drove without PAS was a Ford Ka on an R plate tat I had while my car had a new door fitted. It needed power steering as you needed to be like Charles Atlas to turn the wheel in the bloody thing. I learned to drive in a Peugeot 205 diesel (non turbo), the Nova I had as a first car was a dream to park in comparison (both cars had manual steering, but the Pug was a bloody animal!)

By: maestrowoff

maestrowoff — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:34:36 +0000

I passed my test in 1.3 Special Maestro. It did have the optional 5speed box though!

By: Yorkie

Yorkie — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:09:47 +0000

Shirt and tie, and trainers though. He looks a pudding. I do think though, that many new drivers today pass their test in cars with all the parking aids and ABS/traction control etc, then can only afford a few hundred quid banger, that won’t even have power steering, and they then struggle, and often have whoopses, because the car handles totally different to what they passed in. I must admit, I went from a 16v 1.4 Sunny Learner car, to a rusty MG Metro, and boy was it a culture shock

By: Ford Prefect

Ford Prefect — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:18:49 +0000

I passed my test in a 1.0 metro.. 3 weeks later I was driveing a 4.7 litre Maserati.. dad had a few too many at the pub..

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:21:59 +0000

Presumably he will get an automatic only licence. Nothing wrong with that. Plenty of people want to be able to get from A to B in a car without having to change gear. According to the motoring press manual boxes and clutch pedals will have vanished within the next 10-15 years anyway.

By: berard winkleman

berard winkleman — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:59:19 +0000

How many young drivers wear a tie and trainers!! He should have done his test in a 25!! its a big car to learn in. Navdeep Singh well done for being the first.

See you on the road.

berny 216sli

By: The Wolseley Man

The Wolseley Man — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:42:21 +0000

I think your right Doug but I don’t think it’s ever been any different. I passed my first test in a Heinkel bubble car but was driving a 3.3 PC Cresta 3 years later!
Unless we have silver spoon syndrome most of us simply can’t afford the bigger stuff when we are very young.
One does wonder what experience of driving is gained in a modern tiny car – that virtually thinks for you and is so ‘controlled’.

By: Doug

Doug — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:30:23 +0000

Still, nice to see driving lessons being taken in a reasonably sized car rather than some tiny tin box like a Picanto.

The only other people using a decent sized car as a learner vehicle that I have seen were the AA with the Focus. I know that most new drivers won’t be able to insure anything bigger than a Fiesta when they pass at 17, but after a couple of years they tend to “graduate” to larger cars and because they’ve only ever driven small cars they have no sense of spacial awareness. It just seems daft to me.

By: Chris Baglin

Chris Baglin — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:47:25 +0000

@6, Darren,

Agree. My driving instructor wouldn’t buy a diesel, because he said that diesels are harder to stall (although not the case in a Transit 115 diesel, I find…).

So, it was a boggo Metro 1.0 City, followed by a Fiesta Mk3 1.1. No ABS, no power steering, no ‘park assist’, and a basic 4 speed gearbox. Set me up just fine for driving a series of bangers (FSO Polonez, Escort Mk3 1.3 CVH, etc), before I could afford anything half decent.

By: Darren

Darren — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:22:11 +0000

Hardly representative of suitable cars for a new driver.

Twenty years ago driving schools sensibly ran cars that learners could buy after passing their test.
Red should be using a corsa.

By: Yorkie

Yorkie — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:11:45 +0000

If it aint got a clutch pedal, he will have a ‘Teflon’ licence plain & simple. I passed my PCV in a semi auto, but that only gives me ‘automatic’. He will have to take another test to drive a manual car, so unless he has a disability, he’s just burnt a shedload of cash.

By: Steve G

Steve G — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:59:32 +0000

Man passes driving test! In a car!

Well, hold the bloomin’ front page…

By: russell wheeler

russell wheeler — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:38:51 +0000

If it’s not got a clutch, he will only have an automatic licence, and have to take his test again to drive a “real” car !!!

By: Andrew Elphick

Andrew Elphick — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:00:49 +0000

Has the Ampera lost its IC engine now? Cheeky PR team

By: Gareth Hopkins

Gareth Hopkins — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:39:11 +0000

Well done Navdeep.

Does the learner driver get a full UK licence or is there an Electric Vehicle licence now? Presumably someone who passes the test in an electric vehicle won’t know about clutch control etc? I assume there’s still a distinction between Auto-only licences and full licences?