Parents increasingly interested in teaching teens how to drive in EVs

Teaching teenagers how to drive - and be responsible behind the wheel - is a daunting task, but electric vehicle adoption could greatly assist because of modern safety standards. Young people learning to drive behind the wheel for the first time may not get much experience driving an internal combustion engine in favor of an EV.

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A recent Cars.com survey discovered that 74% of drivers feel it is somewhat important for teens to learn to drive an EV - and 56% believe all teen drivers will learn to drive an EV model within the next decade. Apparently, it's something that driver's education classes also teach to students, with 36% of teens receiving hybrid and EV operation instructions.

Also of interest is that 52% of teens are driving used cars, while 38% learn to drive in new vehicles. The study didn't break down how old the used cars were, though a major plus side of EV driving is related to safety.

There are both pros and cons of teen drivers behind the wheel of an EV, as noted by Cars.com:

Pros:

Active safety features

Teen driver technology

Less maintenance

One-pedal driving

Cons:

Public charging

Rear-wheel drive

Instant torque

Regardless of what kind of vehicle is chosen, new drivers tend to learn the best with engaged, proactive parents helping them practice.

Interest in EVs is increasing, with 5.7% of new-car registrations some type of electric car, SUV, or truck, according to Experian. That number also will see a bump as more than half of licensed teen drivers showed an interest in owning an EV, with 52% expressing interest - and 26% saying they do not.

In a similar manner that many young people only can drive automatic cars - and not manuals - there will come a time when the majority of young people have never driven a gas-powered vehicle.