Is driving an electric vehicle really safe and comfortable?

While charging and estimating the driving range and electricity consumption require a change in car usage, driving an electric car is little different. Getting used to the automatic gear, necessary for some, is usually quick. Surveys show that many drivers of EVs are satisfied, for commercial as well as private use.⁽¹³⁾

A survey among 243 Austrian mail deliverers who use electric vehicles every day resulted in 92% being satisfied or very satisfied with the vehicle.⁽¹⁴⁾ An advantage compared to conventional engines is the low noise level. While this is a positive effect for noisy cities, it also requires greater attentiveness. By July 2019 all new electric vehicles in the EU will have to be equipped with an artificial sound when travelling up to 20 km/h. Most manufacturers have already integrated a warning or buzzing sound. Compared to the combustion engines, the electric vehicle already has a high torque during starting and can accelerate quicker from a stationary position. The “livelier” driving mode of those cars requires responsible driver behaviour.

⁽¹³⁾ See: Institute of Transport Economics. Norwegian Centre for Transport Research: Electric vehicles – environmental, economic and practical aspects.
TØI report 1329/2014m – Oslo 2014
⁽¹⁴⁾ Klima- und Energiefonds. Statusbericht der E-Mobilitätsmodellregion E-Mobility Post, Vienna 2015