i have a teen that is close to getting his permit. I’m going to buy him a car for sure. But I can’t really afford another Tesla. I’m thinking I will probably buy him a civic. Have you taught your kids to drive on the Tesla? Seems silly to buy a car and pay for it for the half year he only has a permit but the alternative is learning to drive in a Tesla which is way different than an ICE car. Has anyone taught their kid to drive exclusively in a Tesla and then switched them to an ICE?
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Teaching kids to drive
- Thread starter Nevada Jen
- Start date
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
I have not done this, but I agree that there are some reasons to be concerned.
ICE cars will be around for a very long while (so good to learn how to drive them), and they’re a lot harder to drive than Teslas (regardless of whether they are manual or automatic), so it seems like a better place to start learning.
Another thing to consider is that the basic safety habits of turning off the car, setting parking brake, and leaving car in gear are all foreign to a Tesla. And locking the car. This can result in “mode confusion” issues.
Just today I saw a Tesla driver I know start to get out of his seat at a gas station (he was driving an ICE), and the car started to move forward because it was still in Drive! Earlier in the weekend, I had seen him park, get out of the car and close the door while leaving the car on!
So those sorts of differences are things to be very concerned about longer term. It’s actually a big issue for any Tesla driver.
I also know someone at work who was teaching their child to drive on an EV, and an inadvertent pedal application launched the car quickly over the curb and into a tree. The instant and considerable work torque gives very little time to react (in a typical ICE, it will react less abruptly to partial throttle application and there is audible feedback to pedal misapplication).
That being said, there is a lot more to driving than the type of car you are in - learning the rules of the road and driving well are actually a challenging task. But there are definitely transitional issues of concern, in addition to just learning the basic driving task.
I think overall it would be fine to have your child learn from you while driving the Tesla (if you want to risk it...). It makes focusing on the other details of driving more central. It will also be good practice for dealing with blind spots.
. But afterwards I think you need to retrain on the new type of vehicle. There are too many differences to just do a quick one or two drives on the new vehicle and call it good.I would be concerned about accidents during driver training with the Tesla as well. Repairs are usually neither cheap nor quick.
Hopefully someone who has actually done this can chime in.
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My girls (twins) turn 15 in about 6 weeks. I've had them drive my BMW because it is a stick, but only once. I am thinking about trying to find either a newer Leaf or a Bolt for them. They'll be driving a lot (up to 80 miles per day), due to their swim practices (9/week) being in another town. But have not really considered buying one so early as to teach them to drive, unless I get them an ICE car, which will be a manual, so I may have to if I sell the BMW before then.
I have permit driver. While I have let him drive the tesla a few times, I did so in settings that mimic traditional cars. Ie chill, low regen, no EAP... I mostly have him drive our 2004 Lexus rx330. But it’s been a challenge getting him lots of mileage though, because when we drive I really only want to drive the tesla, and I Want it! Anyway, I decided to focus his learning on traditional car practices , thinking that is his near term future anyway.
2 other points. Variety is a good thing to learn. And Tesla’s are the safest cars when used correctly so, not so crazy to have new drivers use them
2 other points. Variety is a good thing to learn. And Tesla’s are the safest cars when used correctly so, not so crazy to have new drivers use them
Just my opinion but the knowledge of how to drive a current ice car with a manual is a very valuable skill to pass on to your children. It’s also an easy skill to learn especially when you’re young.
They don’t actually have to own and drive a manual transmission car but the knowledge of how to handle it is a lifelong skill.
They may however want to take their initial driving test in a small automatic ice car to reduce new driver stress.
They don’t actually have to own and drive a manual transmission car but the knowledge of how to handle it is a lifelong skill.
They may however want to take their initial driving test in a small automatic ice car to reduce new driver stress.
Lasairfion
Member
In the UK, if you pass your driving test in an automatic car, then you are not allowed to drive one with a gear stick on that licence. Nearly everyone does the test in a car with a gear stick except the few who are having severe issues coping with one. It's seen as pretty embarrassing not to be able to drive a car with a gear stick.
I would see the differences between driving an ICE car and a BEV as similar to the difference between a gear stick and an automatic. Different enough that it would warrant them being unable to drive the other. Get them to learn on the hardest one (a stick shift, gas-powered car).
I would see the differences between driving an ICE car and a BEV as similar to the difference between a gear stick and an automatic. Different enough that it would warrant them being unable to drive the other. Get them to learn on the hardest one (a stick shift, gas-powered car).
We did about 1/3 of my sons training in the model 3 including the trips to and from his mandatory driver ed class. He was 16 at the time. Teaching in the model 3 was the less stressful for me which sounds counter intuitive. It was perfect for highway driving especially for learning how to merge onto the highway and across multiple lanes and for holding lane position. He drove using the mirrors and by looking over his shoulders and I had the screen on the rear view camera. I would recommend others doing a large portion of their training in the Tesla including parking. I would not recommend using the Tesla for the actual driving test unless it will become their daily driver (it is too easy to pass the test and my concern would be that they may not master the idiosyncrasies of a non state of the art automobile). Also, I did not dial down the car for his training; if my son was brave enough to put his foot to the floor I wanted to be in the car to see how he reacted...
My kids are way too young to drive but if possible consider teaching yours to drive manual. Ive had a bunch of cars and crashed a few along the way. I've always found that I'm most attentive when I am driving my manual cars. I think that having something going on while driving keeps me from fiddling with the other stuff and losing focus. Plus nowadays its a great theft deterrent.
Buy a used Fit with a stick. Honda makes great manuals and there is a decent enough amount of them on the road that they are pretty cheap. Plus a Fit is small enough where the friends wont want to cram into it all the time. Less distractions.
After you can drive manual learning anything else is a breeze.
Buy a used Fit with a stick. Honda makes great manuals and there is a decent enough amount of them on the road that they are pretty cheap. Plus a Fit is small enough where the friends wont want to cram into it all the time. Less distractions.
After you can drive manual learning anything else is a breeze.
Sounds like he needs to be driving with Mom or Dad for awhile with his learner's permit.
If we still used them, it would be a good idea. But we don't.
But there is a good chance a driver will come cross a car with a manual which are still in production in new cars (including the model mentioned by the OP).
Lasairfion
Member
If they're learning to drive, then driving the most difficult one is a good idea. After this current generation, I don't see that many people will bother to learn to drive at all. It's dropping massively already with Uber etc taking a chunk out of car ownership and autonomous ride-sharing is going to reduce that much further.
Used Volt? Gen 1 under 10k, good safety record (3.8klb helps), electric driving, can stand the heat, compact maneuverability.
Anyway, fundamental driving skills cross models. Adjustment to idiosyncrasies only takes a little time.
In my view, it's better to teach in an electric or automatic. I learned stick (from the UK) and that was a distraction from the fundamentals of driving. Stick can come later for those who want it (and the percentage is low).
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