France weighs a dedicated EV driver's license with fewer hours and lower costs

France is floating a change that could rewrite the rules for getting a driver’s license behind the wheel of an EV. The French Energy Union (UFE) has proposed a separate license category for electric-car drivers. The course would require fewer hours of hands-on training and cost less, lowering the barrier to entry—especially for younger motorists.

Today, a standard license demands a minimum of 20 hours of instruction in a car with a manual transmission. For electric vehicles, that threshold could drop to 13 hours, since there’s no clutch or gearbox to master. UFE maintains that this streamlined path would make learning simpler and help first-time drivers get comfortable with EVs more quickly. The logic is straightforward: remove manual shifting from the equation, and the curriculum can be tighter without feeling rushed.

Plans also include expanding financial assistance, with loans to help buyers acquire their first electric car. Together, a shorter course and easier financing look like a coordinated push to grow the market, which already counts more than 1.3 million electric vehicles on French roads.

Not everyone is convinced. Some driving schools warn that trimming instruction hours could undermine safety, stressing that electric cars still present their own driving challenges despite the lack of a traditional transmission. There is also discussion of introducing a similar license in countries where interest in models such as the Tesla Model 3 and Peugeot e-208 is on the rise. The idea seems promising for accessibility, but the real test will be striking the right balance between affordability and thorough training.